You will want clear facts before forming an opinion about what happened during a family sledding outing that became a criminal case. Officials say a man allegedly struck his fiancée and her daughter with his pickup after the pair were reportedly towed on a plastic lid, and the incident left both women seriously injured and the driver facing felony DUI and hit-and-run charges. This article lays out the reported sequence of events, the injuries sustained, and the legal actions that followed so you can understand what authorities are addressing.
Expect a factual account of the sledding incident, eyewitness reports of the towing and the moments that followed, and details from charging documents and law-enforcement statements. The next sections will explain how investigators reconstructed the scene and what charges the alleged actions triggered.
Sledding Outing Incident Details
Two women being towed on a plastic container lid were left in the roadway after a vehicle turned, then were struck moments later by a pickup truck. Local law enforcement reports and eyewitness accounts identify the driver of the pickup and list the injuries sustained.
Timeline of Events During the Nighttime Sledding Outing
Witnesses told investigators the incident began around 8 p.m. on Jan. 31, when a group gathered for nighttime sledding in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Two women — a 47-year-old mother and her 20-year-old daughter — rode on a plastic container lid that had been tethered and was being towed behind a vehicle.
According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, a vehicle in the towing party turned, leaving the two women in the roadway. Moments later a 2022 Ram pickup truck struck them. Emergency crews responded and transported the injured to hospital; injuries included fractured skull, punctured lung, broken ribs, multiple broken vertebrae, and a dislocated shoulder, all described as non-life-threatening by investigators.
The pickup driver fled the scene but was later identified and charged. Court records show the accused was released on personal recognizance bonds totaling $60,000.
Circumstances Leading to the Collision
Investigators pieced together that the immediate cause of the collision was the two women being left in the travel lane after the towing vehicle executed a turn. The towed lid provided no protective structure and offered minimal visibility to oncoming traffic, increasing the risk when they entered the roadway.
A separate vehicle — a 2022 Ram pickup — approached while the women remained in the lane. The driver, later identified as Richard Quinn Davidson, allegedly left the scene after impact. Law enforcement treated the case as both a driving-under-the-influence matter and a hit-and-run; Davidson faces two counts of felony DUI resulting in great bodily injury and two counts of hit-and-run involving great bodily injury, per the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office report.
Media outlets including The Island Packet and local TV stations cited witness statements and the Highway Patrol’s incident timeline while reporting the sequence of events.
Victims Involved and Their Relationship to the Accused
The two victims were a 47-year-old woman and her 20-year-old daughter. Records and reports identify the 47-year-old as engaged to the accused, Richard Quinn Davidson; the younger victim is his prospective stepchild by engagement.
Injury details released by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office indicate both suffered serious trauma: skull fracture, punctured lung, multiple broken ribs and vertebrae, and a dislocated shoulder among other injuries. Medical sources described the injuries as non-life-threatening, and both women received hospital treatment following the collision.
Charges filed against Davidson reflect both the familial relationship and the severity of the victims’ injuries, with prosecutors citing great bodily injury in the felony counts. For more reporting on the charges and local investigative updates, see the article from WKRC and coverage by The Island Packet.
Legal Actions, Charges, and Aftermath
Authorities arrested the suspect after deputies say he fired into a group sledding on a rural road, then struck two victims with his vehicle. Court filings, medical reports, and booking records outline the charges, the victims’ injuries, and the law enforcement response.
Injuries Sustained by the Victims
Medical records and hospital statements describe severe trauma to both victims. The adult victim sustained a fractured skull, a punctured lung, multiple broken ribs, and a dislocated shoulder, requiring emergency surgery and an extended hospital stay. The child suffered broken vertebrae and additional fractures; doctors reported spinal stabilization procedures and ongoing rehabilitation needs.
Emergency responders prioritized airway and spine management at the scene. Transport to a trauma center occurred by ambulance within minutes, and both victims received imaging scans that confirmed the listed injuries. Treating physicians later documented long-term care needs, including physical therapy and specialist follow-up for potential permanent impairment.
Charges Filed Against Richard Quinn Davidson
Prosecutors charged the defendant with multiple felonies reflecting both the shooting and the vehicle collision. He faces counts of aggravated assault and attempted first-degree murder tied to the shooting, as well as additional counts related to running over the victims with his vehicle. Authorities included driving under the influence allegations in charging documents after reported observations and onsite testing.
Court records show prosecutors sought to detain him without personal recognizance bond, citing risk to public safety and severity of injuries. Arraignment documents list bail considerations and prosecutors’ requests for enhanced penalties if convicted on the combined firearm and vehicle assault charges. Defense pleadings entered a not-guilty plea and contested bond conditions at the initial hearing.
Investigation and Law Enforcement Response
Sheriff’s deputies secured the area, collected ballistic evidence, and impounded the suspect’s vehicle for forensic analysis. Investigators obtained witness statements, surveillance footage, and forensic lab results linking shell casings and impact patterns to the defendant’s actions. Crime-scene technicians documented skid marks and vehicle damage consistent with the collision reports.
Detectives coordinated with the county medical examiner and treating hospitals to corroborate injuries with timestamps and transport logs. Prosecutors worked with investigators to prepare charging affidavits that referenced the victim injuries, toxicology results, and forensic findings. The case remains under active investigation as authorities pursue additional witness interviews and forensic testing.
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