School bus collides with motorcycle, one dead
Curtis Graham/News 13
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating a school bus crash with a motorcycle in Horry County Monday morning.
Published: November 2, 2009
Updated: November 3, 2009
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating a school bus crash with a motorcycle in Horry County Monday morning that killed a high school senior.
According to the SCHP website, the incident happened around 8:10 a.m. on International Drive. and Hwy 31.
Horry County Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard said Marc Chaplin, 18, died at the scene. She told News13 he died of trauma caused by the accident.
Horry County Schools Public Information Officer Teal Britton said Chaplin was a senior at the Academy for Arts, Science, and Technology. He was riding on the motorcycle when the wreck happened.
Britton said grief counselors are currently in place to help fellow students.
L/Cpl Sonny Collins said the MAIT team is now handling the investigation.
No children were on the bus at the time of the crash.
The Highway Patrol is asking for anyone who may have witnessed the crash to please contact them at 843-661-4705.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
TO ALL OF YOU BICKERING ABOUT HELMETS and insinuating that he did not wear one. Marc and his family came from South Africa where driving in a top of the range Volvo with seat belts on is still not safe enough for our roads. Here it is an everyday occurrence for someone to lose their life on our roads. It was devastating receiving the news. Marc who was 9 years younger than me was more responsible than I have ever been and would have never driven without a helmet. I sure do hope that his mother does not visit this site and read what some of you have to say about her only son that died in the same year that her father passed away as well. And if you really want to have a go at a traffic system come and live in South Africa and then we can talk again. Sies man
Marc was a great person. I’m gonna miss him sitting behind me. Right now it doesn’t matter who’s at fault. Marc will be missed. Rest in peace Marc Chaplin.
If people can be required to wear seat belts or helmets, than I see no reason why we could not require drivers to be tested every two years.
I have seen too much discrimination so I will be the first to apologize for any idea that would discriminate. I agree that we should require all drivers to get tested every two years. This is the only way we can be sure that the recent influx of drivers new to our area are able to drive safely.
Handy00man: Right on the money. The “let’s test certain groups” wishers best worry that such a beginning might result in them not making the grade also. As a matter of fact, the state already discriminates against the elderly. At 65 a drivers license must be renewed [eye test, road signs, etc.] every 5 years. Others at 10 years. I agree, make it a matter of a no nonsense road test, vision, and written knowledge. You can be sure there will be plenty of space on the roads at that point.Many of those braying would be reduced to walking.
There are alot of people who are automaticly blaming the guy because he is young or because he was on a motorcyle and they assume he was driving stupid. But I can tell you from experience that there are alot of people who just don’t pay attention to motorcycles and will pull out in front of them. I am not putting blame on the bus driver either. It could have been anything. As for those who have posted about regular testing for older drivers. Personnaly I think ALL drivers should be tested at least every 3-5 yrs. There are too many people out there who can’t drive and should not be on the road young or old.
Teenagers with brains fried on mary jane or meth or booze kill a lot more people than the elderly who at least have the sense to slow down when necessary. Do your homework ns.
Nightshift: I appreciate your remarks…but I have had plenty of ‘young’ people slip out of streets around CCU—one girl in particular, did it twice in one week and I just happened to be in the area working..knew it was the same person because she had pulled out in front of me earlier in the week…not even stop at the stop sign, right in front of me…so they knew a car was coming and then and laugh that you didn’t hit them/my grandson who was 11 years and with me was hysterical…SO..it’s NOT JUST OLD PEOPLE. Everyone needs to watch their driving…amen!!
This is one of the most tragic events for us in the last few years. If he had been an older man people would have simply read the story and then forgotten about it. But this was a kid just beginning life and doing absolutely nothing wrong. I want everyone in Horry County to be outraged enough to be willing to look at requiring elderly drivers to be tested each year or at least every other year especially since we are getting more and more elderly retirees moving here every day and I want drivers that pull out in front of other drivers to at the very least be held accountable for their actions. I do not want this boy’s death to have little more than a tragic ending. Please let some new laws come from this tragedy. Do this for the community and for this family. Force your local politicians to take action. Please let some good come from such a tragidy.
It really sucks to see some of you people trying to make marc just another statistic in the record books instead of recognizing him for the great person he really was. If you could have been in the schools today you would have seen how devastating it was. He was wearing a helmet, and that might have helped with some little fender bender but when it involves a school bus, I doubt that helmet will help that much anyways. So instead of trying to judge him and just make him some insignificant number on a statistic, have some respect and share your condolences. Rest in peace marc, you’re so loved.
Advertisement