Lawsuit filed against SCDOT, Folly Beach over pedestrian death on crosstown in 2023
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) — The daughter of a pedestrian killed on the Septima P Clark Parkway in 2023 is suing the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and the City of Folly Beach, calling the roadway a ‘killing machine.’
Belinda Prim, 66, was hit by a Folly Beach Public Safety vehicle on the morning of June 26, 2023, near the intersection of U.S. 17 and President Street.
Prim was taken to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), where she died from her injuries.
Residents have called for safety improvements on the parkway, also known as the crosstown, for years, as several pedestrians have been hit and killed along the roadway.
Lawyers for the Bland Richter Law Firm represent Madeline Norris, Prim’s daughter and representative of Prim’s estate, in this lawsuit.
The suit says at least eight pedestrians have been killed since 2012 on the Crosstown. It also claims SCDOT has not implemented the proper safety precautions in the area, making it a hazardous environment. Some examples included in the documents are the failure “to provide adequate” crosswalks, warning signs, and pedestrian and traffic lights along the crosstown.
The lawsuit also recounts the day Ms. Prim was hit. Officer Armand Alex Kalo was driving to work in his Folly Beach police cruiser traveling south on the crosstown while Prim was attempting to cross U.S. 17 on President Street when the right front of Kalo’s cruiser struck Prim.
Lawyers claim Kalo did not hit his brakes before the collision and later admitted twice to going at least 38 miles per hour, if not over. The speed limit in that section of the crosstown is 35 mph. Kalo was never charged with speeding, according to the suit.
The filing in the Charleston County Court of Common Pleas lists several reasons why lawyers believe Kalo was going over 40 mph, beginning on page 6.
As a result of the collision, documents say Prim suffered an “open cranial fracture, fluid in the abdomen, a broken pelvis and femur.” Prim died of her injuries on June 28, 2023.
“The cause of Belinda’s death was “multiple blunt force injuries with laceration of the liver, pulmonary contusions, multiple rib fractures, and pelvic fracture,” the suit explains.
Folly Beach is responsible for negligence through Kalo, the suit says, “as it relates to the hiring, training, supervision, and retention of Kalo, including but not limited to some or all of the following:”
- Failure to train Kalo to yield to pedestrians
- Failure to train Kalo to look out for pedestrians
- Failure to train Kalo to sound his horn for pedestrians
- Failure to train Kalo to obey speed limits
- Failure to train Kalo to brake for pedestrians
- Failure to train Kalo to tell the truth to investigators
Norris is asking for damage compensation for the suffering of Belinda Prim and her family as a result of the collision in an amount to be determined by a jury.
The filing documents include a list of 911 calls for service involving the Septima P Clark Parkway from Aug. 7, 2018, to Jul. 17, 2023.
That list equals 189 calls for service, which can be found below.
News 2 contacted SCDOT for comment on the suit, and in response, they sent the following: “SCDOT does not offer commentary on matters related to pending litigation.”
When asked about plans for improvements to the crosstown, Kelly Moore, spokesperson for the agency, said, “SCDOT recently performed a Road Safety Audit in this area from Lockwood Drive to Coming Street. The study includes field assessments and coordination with local stakeholders. The report will include recommendations for safety improvements. We are continuing to coordinate with local officials to finalize the next steps of the process, including public involvement and outreach. As we conclude the work on the report, we will be publishing that information and requesting feedback from the public. We encourage community members to visit our website for updates.”
The City of Folly Beach said they do not comment on pending litigation.
In December 2023, Brent Dillon, the Director of Traffic Engineering for SCDOT, gave an update on the road safety assessment for the crosstown at a Charleston County Legislative Delegation Roads and Bridges Committee meeting.
At the meeting, he said that based on the study until then, SCDOT expected most of the work to be related to signing and marking and traffic signal improvements. He estimated that the cost would be $2.5-3 million.
Before Prim’s fatal collision, George Liles was hit and killed walking near the McDonald’s on Spring Street in February 2023.
Shortly after Prim died from her accident, the mother of 21-year-old Lindsey Ranz, who was killed attempting to cross the parkway in January 2014, spoke out, calling for safety improvements to the crosstown in July 2023.
