North Charleston police say a Mount Pleasant woman rear-ended a motorcyclist on Rivers Avenue Tuesday afternoon, then kept driving with the rider forced onto her hood for just under half a mile before an off-duty sheriff's deputy forced her to pull over. Willow Amanda Brunswig, 52, now faces a first-offense DUI charge along with a failure-to-give-information-and-render-aid count after the encounter ended in a struggle with a North Charleston police supervisor.
How the Crash Unfolded on Rivers Avenue
According to North Charleston Police Department records, officers were dispatched at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to reports of a collision involving a possibly impaired driver and determined that Brunswig had struck the motorcycle from behind at Rivers Avenue and Greenridge Road. Rather than stopping, police say she kept driving with the rider pinned to her hood, carrying him just under half a mile to Rivers Avenue and Melnick Drive.
WYFF News 4 identified the driver as 52-year-old Brunswig of Mount Pleasant. The station reports that the motorcyclist tried to block her from leaving the scene, and that an off-duty Berkeley County Sheriff's Office deputy who witnessed the collision activated emergency equipment and forced her to pull over.
Struggle, Confusion and a Refused Breath Test
A North Charleston police supervisor arriving on scene handcuffed Brunswig after what police records describe as a struggle to detain her. The same records note that Brunswig appeared confused during questioning and asked officers why she had been stopped. Officers also reported a strong smell of alcohol on her breath and red, glossy eyes.
Investigators documented white paint transfer and fresh scratches on the motorcycle's gray rear fender, damage that records show matched a dent on the front passenger-side bumper of Brunswig's car. Brunswig refused to provide a breath sample once she reached the jail, which triggered an immediate suspension of her driver's license.
What South Carolina Law Says About the Charges
That automatic suspension stems from South Carolina's implied consent statute, which holds that anyone who drives in the state has already agreed to chemical testing if arrested on suspicion of DUI. Refusing the test can result in an administrative license suspension, according to Harvey & Battey. Brunswig was booked on the first-offense DUI count as well as failure to give information and render aid.
South Carolina Code sections 56-5-1220 and 56-5-1230 are cited alongside the failure-to-give-information-and-render-aid charge. If Brunswig is convicted of DUI, she would also be required to install an ignition interlock device on her vehicle for at least six months under a state law that took effect in 2024, according to Morgan Martin Law. The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles says that, effective May 19, 2024, an ignition-interlock device is required to clear DUI, DUAC and felony-DUI suspensions for violations dated on or after that date. WYFF News 4 reports that Brunswig was transported to the Al Cannon Detention Center following her arrest. It remains unclear whether she has since had a bond hearing, and the motorcyclist's identity and current condition have not been released.
A Dangerous Stretch of Highway 52
The crash unfolded along Rivers Avenue between Greenridge Road and Melnick Drive. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety maintains a statewide traffic fatality count. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety maintains a statewide traffic fatality count.
In Charleston County, the Taylor Anderson Law Firm discusses suspected impaired driving in connection with motorcycle crashes. Statewide, alcohol- or drug-related collisions and deaths are discussed without specific figures.
