CHESTERFIELD — The arrest of the man accused of killing a Chesterfield County sheriff’s deputy hasn’t eased the loss the department feels, Chesterfield County Sheriff Sam Parker said.
Michael Chad Lambert, 33, of Patrick was charged with felony driving under the influence Wednesday in connection with the July 23 death of Sgt. Darryl Quick, S.C. Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Jeff Gaskins said.
Parker said the sheriff’s office is still mourning Quick’s death. Quick, 42, of Cheraw, had been with the department for about nine years.
“We miss him — you can tell right now, talking about it now,” the sheriff said. “It’s very tough, still sad and trying to get over it, especially with it being one of our own family members like Darryl was.”
Fourth Circuit Solicitor Jay Hodge said Lambert’s blood alcohol level registered at .16 — twice the legal limit in South Carolina.
A State Law Enforcement Division background check on Lambert and found that between 1993 and 2002, he was arrested for various crimes including larceny, burglary, and assault and battery with a concealed weapon.
Lambert’s 10-year driving record also shows that he’d been charged with DUI three times before. The record was provided by the state Department of Motor Vehicles to the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, which released it to the media.
“When it’s involving alcohol, it’s very tough,” Parker said. “It’s very tough when you involve any tragic death.”
Quick, who was off duty at the time of the crash, was killed instantly when the 2000 Cadillac he was driving collided head-on with a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction on U.S. 1, according to S.C. Highway Patrol reports.
The crash happened about 6:55 p.m. about four miles outside McBee. Quick had been headed to a meeting in Camden and tried to avoid the crash, investigators said.
Parker said while the sheriff’s office can’t bring Quick back, it hopes it can bring about change and plan to work even harder on DUI law enforcement.
“Not because of Darryl’s death, because we failed the community by not stopping it,” he said.
Parker said he also hopes the members of the community will help each other by not risking their life behind the wheel.
Quick was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash as a result of the head trauma, Chesterfield County Coroner Donnie Baker said last month. Lambert was taken to Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center in Hartsville, where he was treated in the intensive care unit.
Troopers said shortly after the crash they suspected alcohol was a factor in the collision.
Hodge said Lambert is at home recovering from the crash and isn’t physically able to go to jail because of his injuries. He said a judge set a $25,000 bond for Lambert at Lambert’s home and placed him on house arrest.
The court could revisit that issue when Lambert recovers, Hodge said, and deputies will closely monitor Lambert while he’s on house arrest.
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