CHARLESTON, SC NEWS - LIVE 5 WCSC Breaking News, Weather, SportsSanford suspends AB mayor from office
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HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) - Atlantic Beach Mayor Retha Pierce was suspended from office Friday by Gov. Mark Sanford following an indictment by a South Carolina grand jury for an alleged hit and run accident on April 10.
Atlantic Beach Town Manager William Booker says Atlantic Beach has not been officially notified by Sanford's office of Pierce's suspension, but when they are, Mayor Pro Tem Charlene Taylor will take over office.
Ben Fox, spokesman for Sanford, did however confirm the suspension to WMBF News Friday afternoon.
The indictment charges Pierce, 59, with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.
With Thursday's indictment, Sanford had the power to temporarily remove the head of Atlantic Beach from office. According to South Carolina law, Sanford is allowed to suspend a mayor if that person is indicted by a grand jury for a crime of moral turpitude.
Pierce was released on a $2,200 bond after she was charged with hit and run and failure to provide proof of insurance. Atlantic Beach Police Chief Randy Rizzo says the incident occurred on highway 17 North near Excitement Video in Atlantic Beach. Rizzo said Pierce side-swiped a Ford Taurus driven by Dorothy Montgomery and drove off.
According to a complaint filed by Pierce, she says she was attempting to turn into a motel parking lot when "suddenly a car seemingly from nowhere was speeding by" and swiped hers. She says the car continued on and didn't stop at the scene. Pierce claims she stopped.
Pierce claims she waited nearby for the vehicle or police to show up to the scene, and once they did not she continued on, planning to make a report to police at a later time with her pastor, the Rev. Wendy Price.
Pierce says she went to the church looking for Price, and later found her at her home. Later that night, police found Pierce driving on 30th Avenue South in front of a church and booked her into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on charges of hit and run and failure to provide proof of insurance.
Just hours after word of her suspension, Pierce held a church meeting for her political supporters at Atlantic Beach's CME Church.
"I really wasn't surprised," said Pierce. "Everyone will see all the facts and they will know that I have been done wrong with what went down."
At that meeting, Pierce claims State Rep. Tracy Edge, whose congressional district includes Atlantic Beach, is the man to blame for her suspension. In September, Edge addressed a letter to the governor's office, claiming Pierce has "serious problems that make her unfit to serve as mayor."
Pierce fired back at the letter, calling it "ironic" he had taken on the endeavor of trying to remove her from power.
"He says he's writing on behalf of the concerned citizens of Atlantic Beach when there is a concerned citizens group here that has advocated many times that they are in support of me," she told WMBF News in September.
Edge, however, says he hopes the suspension of Pierce will mean better days are ahead for the four-block town.
"She put herself in this position," Edge proclaimed. "Her actions are holding the town back. I'm hoping her removal will allow the town to move forward."
Pierce says when she is exonerated of her charges, the truth will be told.
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