Family of biker killed in the Myrtle Beach restaurant owner felony DUI case speaks out
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Bikers Family Speaks Out
Bikers Family Speaks Out
Published: May 16, 2008
Updated: May 17, 2008
Last Saturday night, Myrtle Beach police responded to an accident involving a motorcycle and a vehicle at the intersection of Kings Highway and Wild Wood Dunes Trail.
When emergency crews arrived on the scene, they found a bike and two victims on the ground, but the vehicle involved was nowhere around.
In the crash, 44-year-old Angelo Gonzalez of Boardman, Ohio died and medics took his girlfriend, Suzie Reader to a local hospital with serious injuries.
Officers said 56-year-old Michael Hilton tried to make a left turn onto Wild Wood Dunes Trail and turned in front of Gonzalez’s bike.
Gonzalez’s bike slammed into the side of Hilton’s 2008 Ford truck, but Hilton left the scene and headed home, according to police.
Hilton walked back to the scene and never told investigators he was involved in the accident until a witness pointed him out, according to the incident report.
Hilton told officers he left a party and admitted to having only “2 to 3 drinks,” according to the report.
According to the police report, officers read Hilton his rights and had him perform several field sobriety tests, which he failed before officers performed a DataMaster examination on him.
The report states Hilton’s blood alcohol level registered 0.15, nearly two times the legal limit.
Myrtle Beach police charged Hilton with two counts of felony driving under the influence and failure to yield the right of way.
Amanda Gonzalez said her dad’s passion was his family, and riding his bike, “He was a very caring and loving man. He was a good guy and I can’t even describe to you the best grandfather any kid could have,” Gonzalez told News13.
Gonzalez said she talked to her father for the final time when he got into Myrtle Beach for Bike Week, “I said all right dad, you be careful, he said Amanda you be careful I love you. I’ll call you in a couple of days and that was the last time I talked to my dad.”
Gonzalez said she can’t understand why he dad had to go like he did, “I didn’t want to lose my faith in God, but all I kept saying was God, why are you doing this to me? Why my dad? Why now? Why when I can’t hold his hand?”
News13 learned this week that Saturday’s incident wasn’t the first time Michael Hilton was involved in a deadly accident.
In April 1991, Hilton hit a University of Georgia senior, Keith Linden, Jr on Highway 17 near restaurant row.
Authorities never charged Hilton in the 1991 accident.
Linden and another man tried to walk across Highway 17 when Linden stepped out in front of Hilton’s SUV, killing the 21 year old student.
Linden had a blood alcohol content of 0.19, according to Nancy Linden, Keith’s mother.
Authorities ruled the incident accidental and closed the case, despite that fact that the Lindens suspected Hilton was drinking at the time of the crash.
The Highway Patrol never investigated Hilton, nor charged him with any crime in connection to the 1991 incident.
Hilton wrote the Linden’s a letter days following the accident, apologizing for the accident.
Hilton wrote, “If I could have done anything to prevent it would have. This is truly the worst thing that has ever happened. Please know and accept our sympathies and constant prayers. If there is anything I can do, please let me know.”
Nancy Linden sued the Hiltons and won a $25,000 lawsuit in 1994.
Michael Hilton remains free on bond, no word yet on a court date.
You can count on News13 to continue to follow this story as details come available.
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Reader Reactions
I, too, would like to know the status of the charges against Mr. Hilton. Why hasn’t hed had a court date? He struck and killed my 21-year-old brother back in 1991 on the same very road (US 13). I hope and pray every day that justice will finally be served. On the night of my brother’s accident, Mr. Hilton was not given a DUI test because of who he was. I know if it were me behind that wheel, I would have been tested immediately. I thought taking a life would have taught him a lesson about safe driving with NO drinking. I guess not.. And I hope and pray that the worst is behind Ms. Reader. This simply CANNOT get swept under the rug. One must pay for his actions NO MATTER WHO HE IS.
As the Father of Susie Reader I’ve had to watch her go through 9 major 0perations,most of which lasted over 6 hours.She has severe pain,and will probably for the rest of her life have trouble with her leg.The person who turned his vehicle into her is walking around, not having to be in bed all day and night because of an accident that wasn’t his fault.It’s so hard to watch her suffer knowing she will never walk without pain.I need the good people of Myrtle Beach and South Carolina to not forget that horrible night when someone made a truck into a killing machine.Someone needs to make sure he is punished!Please,DON’T FORGET what happened that night.As far as Angelo,I know first hand how his family is hurting,especially his daughter and grand children.They will grow up not knowing their grandfather,only have pictures and stories their family tell them.I want to know why Mr.Hilton hasn’t come to trial.Thank you for your time reading this..
He will get away with murder as he has already done. The law only applies to common people everyday.
dont blame the place serving the drinks. its not always easy to tell if a person is drunk. only the person drinking truley knows when to stop. they just choose not to. i know, because i do know when to stop, and do stop.
I hope Hilton and his lawyer, Tommy Brittain, don’t think that this felony DUI charge can just be swept under the rug and Hilton think that he get away with just a slap on the wrist. Hilton is not above the law. I hope he enjoyed his drink, it is proving to be very costly.
As a restaurateur whose establishment serves alcohol, Hilton is VERY aware of the laws and consequences in regards to alcohol. Michael Hilton, you chose to drink alcohol then get behind the wheel and regardless of whether you believe you were not drunk, you DID register a .15 blood alcohol level and that is INDEED above the legal limit.
I believe the Wild Wing Cafe in Garden City went out of business due to the lawsuit against that franchise that stemmed from a patron being over-served alchohol and later that patron was involved in a felony DUI.
The U.S. needs to get a LOT TOUGHER on DUI. It should be an automatic 1 year suspension of driving privileges and the vehicle impounded. So what if other family members need the use of that vehicle while it is impounded. It was used during the commission of a crime and driving under the influence IS a crime.
When someone is caught DUI and registers above the legal limit, there shouldn’t even be a trial. The offender should be taken straight to jail to serve at LEAST a 6 month sentence. Of course, this proposal is only for offenders that were not responsible for someone being killed. This measure would allow stricter laws for first-time offenders and would GREATLY REDUCE repeat offenders.
Intoxicated drivers put us ALL at risk. If any of my family members or myself is injured by a drunk driver, you can bet that we will sue you and all others who allowed you to be behind the wheel.
Mr. Hilton, you killed Mr. Angelo Gonzalez and his entire family is devastated for their loss. “If you do the crime, pay the time”. Everyone here in this forum will be following your trial and the actions of your attorney VERY CLOSELY.
My thoughts and prayers are with the family of the Gonzales family.
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