The death of George Garner II, mayor of McColl, South Carolina, in a head-on collision during a police pursuit has left many questioning the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. Garner, who had recently been reelected, died Tuesday after veering into oncoming traffic and colliding with a tractor-trailer.
The incident occurred just weeks after the entire McColl Police Department resigned, citing “unwanted and malicious behavior.” This timing has raised concerns about potential connections between the police department’s resignation and Garner’s actions leading up to the fatal crash.
According to the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were not pursuing Garner for breaking any laws. Instead, his wife reportedly contacted authorities, prompting them to follow him out of concern for his welfare. However, questions linger about why Garner was driving erratically and what prompted him to swerve into oncoming traffic.
Darlington County Coroner J. Todd Hardee stated that the pursuit was initiated to “protect the well-being of Mr. Garner.” Sheriff Charles Lemon later clarified that deputies were not actively “chasing” him but were following to investigate his condition. This explanation has done little to dispel speculation about what transpired in Garner’s final moments.
The resignation of McColl’s entire police force last month has added another layer of intrigue to the case. The town’s police chief and four officers stepped down in October, citing unspecified “malicious behavior” in a since-deleted social media post. Whether this upheaval in McColl’s law enforcement contributed to or foreshadowed Garner’s tragic death remains unclear.
Garner’s sudden death has left a void in McColl’s leadership and a swirl of unanswered questions. Why was there an apparent concern for his welfare? What led him to veer into oncoming traffic? And could the resignation of the town’s entire police force just weeks prior be more than a coincidence?
As investigations continue, the timing and nature of these events raise critical questions about the turmoil within McColl’s leadership and its potential implications for Garner’s untimely death.
