Governor suspends Pierce as Atlantic Beach mayor

Gov. Mark Sanford suspended Retha Pierce as Atlantic Beach mayor Friday after a grand jury indicted her on a felony hit-and-run charge.

Executive Order 2009-19 states Pierce “leaving the scene of an accident resulting in property damage” qualified as “an act in which fraud is an ingredient involves moral turpitude.”

Under state law, any officer of the state or its political subdivisionswho has been indicted by a grand jury for a crime involving moral turpitude may be suspended by the governor until his or her acquittal.

“This action in no manner addresses the question of guilt or innocence of Retha Pierce,” according to the governor’s statement.

Pierce could not be reached for comment.

The 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office said Pierce was indicted for leaving the scene of an accident and property damage in April.

Atlantic Beach police arrested Pierce after the accident happened April 10 on U.S. 17 Business near the 31st Avenue intersection, which isn’t far from Atlantic Beach Town Hall.

In a police report, the victim, 51-year-old Dorothy Montgomery, said she was driving south on U.S. 17 when a white Chevrolet Trailblazer sideswiped her 2002 Ford Taurus.

Montgomery told police she pulled over in the Excitement Video parking lot to inspect the damages to her car and saw “an unknown subject” stop her Chevrolet in the road, get out, then get back into the Chevrolet and drove away.

The responding officers saw Pierce in her Chevrolet pass through town “a few hours later,” and noticed damage to the front of her SUV. Officers later secured warrants from a Horry County magistrate for Pierce’s arrest in connection with the crash.

Pierce was ordered to pay $2,000 for the hit-and-run charge and $200 for failure to provide proof of insurance.

Pierce also has been arrested on charged of driving under the influence in Marion County, resisting arrest during a traffic stop and trespassing inside Atlantic Beach town hall.

Atlantic Beach councilwoman and mayor pro tem Charlene Taylor will assume the role as mayor, Atlantic Beach Town Manager William Booker said.

Council has a meeting Monday, over which Taylor will preside, with an executive session at 6 p.m. open session at 7 p.m at the Atlantic Beach Community Center, 1010 32nd Ave. South.. The agenda calls for time to review the town manager’s report, a police report and mayor’s report.

“I really don’t have anything to say to her and just hopefully the town will do what it needs to do, to do business on behalf of the town, and this stuff will take care of itself,” Councilman Donnell Thompson said.

“It’s been a long time coming there’s been a lot of delays in bringing this case about, but finally it is an indictable offense after four charges that will remove her from office,” state Rep. Tracy Edge said. “I think it was necessary for a person that has this many charges to not remain in office, and it’s not fair to people who live in Atlantic Beach to have a public servant whose time has to be devoted to their own criminal defense.”

Pierce's indictment cames just two days after Atlantic Beach Police Chief Randy Rizzo was arrested on public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges in Conway. Rizzo has been suspended indefinitely by Booker pending the outcome of that case.