THE CHEROKEE CHRONICLE
Gaffney, South Carolina

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

By Jim Holland
Chronicle New Editor

Mueller Indicted

The Cherokee County Grand Jury has indicted a Blacksburg man on a murder charge.
Johnny Ray Mueller, 46, is charged with the October 21 shooting of Ricky Allen Dixon, whose age was listed as 52. The Grand Jury returned a True Bill during a session last week.
The shooting incident occurred at 416 E. Lime Street in Blacksburg. At the time of the incident, Blacksburg Police Chief Jamie Ham said his officers were dispatched to the address, which is listed as the residence of both the victim and the suspect.
Officer Wyatt Maynor was met outside the residence by Mueller, who was taken into custody. Coroner Dennis Fowler said the shooting occurred in a bedroom. Police were called to the scene about 2:41 a.m.
An autopsy revealed that Dixon died of gunshot wounds to the body.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Monday, November 23, 2009

By Tim Gulla
Ledger Staff Writer

Bonds Set for Suspects in Murder Cases

Two local people facing murder charges in connection with two recent incidents will have to stay at home and wear electronic monitoring devices if they post bond for their release from the Cherokee County Detention Center, a Circuit Court judge ruled Friday.
Judge Derham Cole last week presided over bond hearings for Patricia Ann Sprouse, 50, who is charged with murder in connection with the Nov. 1 stabbing death of her boyfriend, Michael Carpenter, 48; and also for Johnny Ray Mueller, who is charged with murder for the Oct. 21 shooting death of his brother-in-law, Rickey Allen Dixon Sr., 52.
Judge Cole did not issue immediate rulings following the bond hearings but on Friday handed down written orders granting bond in both cases.
Sprouse can be freed from jail pending trial if she posts $25,000 bond.
Mueller’s bond, meanwhile, was set at $50,000.
According to the Cherokee County Detention Center on Sunday, Mueller had been released on bond while Sprouse remained jailed.
In both cases, the judge added the special conditions that Sprouse and Mueller would be subject to home detention with monitoring by global positioning satellite devices.
During bond hearings last week, a defense attorney for Mueller claimed Mueller was trying to defend his sister from abuse when Dixon was shot twice in the bedroom of the East Lime Street, Blacksburg, home that Mueller shared with his sister and brother-in-law. Mueller called emergency responders after the shooting and stayed on the scene.
A defense attorney for Sprouse contended that Carpenter and Sprouse had been engaged in a verbal argument that turned violent. The attorney claimed Carpenter went to the kitchen of the Marietta Road home he shared with Sprouse to grab a “utensil” and that she did so as well.
Unbeknownst to Sprouse, the defense attorney said, Carpenter grabbed a spoon while she grabbed a knife.
Police said they found Sprouse applying pressure to a wound on Carpenter’s chest when they arrived at the scene. He died from a stab wound to the heart.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Monday, November 23, 2009

By Tim Gulla
Ledger Staff Writer

Fraternal Order of Police Gearing up for its Annual ‘Christmas with a Cop’

Hoping to make Christmas a little brighter for area children, the Fraternal Order of Police, Cherokee Lodge No. 20, is once again gearing up for its annual “Christmas with a Cop.”
And this year, the organization of local law enforcement personnel is teaming with its extended family of public servants as some local firefighters will be helping out as well.
According to Sgt. Peter McBride of the Blacksburg Police Department, who serves as president of the local FOP lodge, the FOP is currently collecting donations of money, new toys and gift cards. Children who benefit from the Christmas program are screened and selected through recommendations from the Department of Social Services. McBride said many of the children are the victims of fires, crimes and other hardships.
Last year’s “Christmas with a Cop” program raised about $1,600 and benefited about 20 [NOTE: 30] local children. Some of the children were in foster care and some had very special needs, including a little girl who suffered from severe physical disabilities.
Many of the wish lists submitted by children were very modest, too. Last year, one child simply wanted some “Play Doh.”
When the needed funds are raised, local FOP members will conduct their annual shopping trip to Wal-Mart in search of appropriate gifts for the young children selected for their shopping list.
All funds raised will be spent on toys, while food and clothing will be added to the shopping lists if the budget allows. Because the “Christmas with a Cop” program is local and run by volunteers from the FOP, 100 percent of all funds raised go into the program. There are no administrative costs.
Any citizens or businesses wishing to mail in a donation can send them to: Cherokee Lodge #20, FOP, P.O. Box 878, Gaffney, SC 29342. Any donations made by check should be made out to “Cherokee Lodge #20, FOP".
Persons or businesses with any questions about making charitable donations to the FOP should contact Sgt. McBride at the Blacksburg Police Department at (864) 839- 2331.
Donations of new toys and gift cards are also accepted and can be dropped off at the Blacksburg Police Department. If large amounts of items are being donated, FOP members may be able to pick them up at the donor's location.
McBride said he was approached this year by firefighters who wished to help in the effort. He said the local FOP Lodge was happy to accept the extended hand of caring from their public safety partners.
Due to the economy, with all of the layoffs and business closings that occurred locally and regionally, McBride said the amount of need in the community is expected to be higher this year.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Friday, October 23, 2009

By Tim Gulla
Ledger Staff Writer

Victim’s Roommate Faces Murder Charge

A 46-year-old Blacksburg man was booked on a murder charge early Wednesday following a shooting incident that left his brother-in-law dead.
Blacksburg police were dispatched to 416 E. Lime St. at 2:46 a.m. and immediately made contact with Johnny Ray Mueller, who called 9-1-1 to report the incident, outside the residence.
Rickey Allen Dixon Sr., 52, was found dead in a bedroom of the home.
Mueller is accused of shooting Dixon during an argument inside the residence they shared. Mueller, Dixon and Dixon’s wife were all home when the incident took place, according to police.
Police said they could not release specific details about the circumstances, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. They also could not comment about the evidence they collected, or about any statements that were given, though they could confirm the handgun allegedly used in the shooting had been seized.
Police said they were still reviewing the tapes of the 9- 1-1 call and could not yet release any details about the call.
No one else was injured, Sgt. Peter McBride of the Blacksburg Police Department confirmed.
Mueller was booked on a murder charge at the Cherokee County Detention Center at 7:39 a.m. Wednesday, according to a jail log.
McBride said an arrest warrant was served on Mueller at the jail.
Because of the charge, Mueller will have to appear before a Circuit Court judge in General Sessions Court in order to have a bond set. No hearing date had been announced as of Thursday.
Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said Dixon was pronounced dead at the scene and that an autopsy showed Dixon died as a result of the gunshot wounds.
Fowler confirmed Dixon was shot twice, though he would not say where in the body Dixon was struck.
Dixon, a native of Greensboro, N.C., worked as a handyman and was a volunteer at Iron City Ministries in Blacksburg, according to his obituary, which appears on Page 2A.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Friday, October 02, 2009

By Tim Gulla
Ledger Staff Writer

Police Report

About $1,800 in electronics were reported stolen following the burglary of a York Road home.
According to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, someone forced entry to a residence in the 900 block between 4:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. Sept. 26 and took a 36-inch Sharp flat screen television and a Playstation 3 game system.
The sheriff’s office reported that the items were subsequently recovered by the Blacksburg Police Department but further information wasn’t immediately available.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Friday, August 21, 2009

By Tim Gulla
Ledger Staff Writer

Bogus Bills: Counterfeit $100 Bills Pop up at Various Locations

Authorities are usually able to spot the difference between real and counterfeit bills.
However, every once in a while, looks can be deceiving.
According to a report from the Blacksburg Police Department (BPD), an unknown man presented a counterfeit $100 bill at a restaurant in the municipality Wednesday.
The report states a bearded black male described as 6-feet tall, wearing black pants and a dark green shirt came into Danny's Restaurant on South Charleston Street in Blacksburg at about 8:15 p.m. Aug. 19 wanting to place an order.
Claiming to be on his way to Atlanta, Ga., the man ordered a meal consisting of grits, eggs and toast, paying for the food with a $100 bill. According to the report, the man took his change and left.
A "pen test" performed on the bill by a restaurant employee determined the bill was legitimate, even though it wasn't.
"Usually when money passes that test, it's a done deal," Blacksburg Police Chief Jamie Ham said. "The money in this case tested to be legitimate bills; but sometimes you have to look further."
To be on the safe side, the restaurant requested the help of the BPD to make a conclusion about the money in question.
"We thoroughly examined the bill, checking everything from how the paper feels and a pen test to the magnetic strip to see if this money was real," Ham said. "It wasn't until we noticed the Lincoln water mark found on $5 bills was on a Benjamin Franklin bill (worth $100) that we came to the final conclusion the money was counterfeit."
The Blacksburg police chief said he believes the money was bleached before having the look of a $100 bill copied onto the currency.
"I had already told the boys that this looks like the real thing, real money," Ham said. "It's virtually impossible to know with your eyes that it is fake, a lot of the times too late."
Blacksburg police officials are now alerting county businesses of the phony bills, distributing fliers throughout the area.
Millions of counterfeit bills are passed each year, according to the U.S. Secret Service, claiming the ease and speed with which large quantities of counterfeit currency can be produced using modern photographic and printing equipment.
Ham believes the operation is not based in Cherokee County.
"My hunch is because of how organized and almost perfect it is, that this cannot be a local organization or counterfeit group," Ham said.
This is one of a string of incidents involving counterfeit money in the past week.
Authorities with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office received reports of fake $100 bills being passed Aug. 14 at the J. Express convenience store in Blacksburg and at the Kangaroo Express located on Shelby Highway. The same night, an unknown man attempted to make a purchase at the CVS Pharmacy on West Buford Street in Gaffney, handing the clerk a bill with $100 markings. The bill was found to have been printed over a $5 bill when held under a light.
The manufacture of or possession of counterfeit currency is a federal offense, punishable by a fine of up to $15,000 and 15 years in prison.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Friday, May 29, 2009

By Tim Gulla
Ledger Staff Writer

Knife-wielding Assailant who Needed a Ride Sent to Prison

A jury's question might have given a 49-year-old Asheville, N.C., man on trial a little hope, but it didn't last too long.
After about two and a half hours of deliberations Wednesday, a jury of seven women and five men convicted Jerry Lee Ward on all the charges he faced for holding a knife to a convenience store clerk's throat during a "desperate" search for a ride last Sept. 10.
Ward was convicted of assault with intent to kill, attempted armed robbery and kidnapping.
Circuit Court Judge Roger Couch, who presided over the 2-day trial in Cherokee County General Sessions Court, sentenced Ward to 15 years in prison. Ward will have to serve at least 85 percent of the sentence, or at least 12 years and nine months, before he is eligible for parole.
The jury members, almost all of whom stayed behind to watch Ward be sentenced after they had rendered a verdict, sent several questions to the judge during their deliberations, including one that indicated there was some debate about Ward's intent. The jury asked the court if it could convict Ward of an assault without intent to kill charge, which Judge Couch later answered in the negative since the jury could only consider the charges put before them and not new or different charges.
The Sept. 10, 2008, incident occurred at about 3 a.m. at the BP gas station and convenience store in Blacksburg. The lone store clerk working that morning was stocking drinks in the store's walk-in cooler when she turned around and was confronted by Ward, who was holding a knife.
With no other way out of the tight confines of the cooler, the clerk testified she was kept there for several minutes by Ward, whom she said was "desperate" for a ride somewhere. She claimed he grabbed her smock and held the knife to her throat, but ultimately allowed her to walk out of the cooler to get her car keys.
While bending behind the store's front counter to get her car keys, the clerk pushed a silent alarm button. Ward fled the store. Police found him a while later on Interstate 85, in possession of a black-handled folding knife, the same kind described by the store clerk.
Ward, who testified in his own defense, claimed he had been hitchhiking from Michigan back to Asheville and had ended up in Blacksburg when he was attacked by two men who had been giving him a ride and decided to take his money. He said after fighting the two men off him, Ward, who admitted to drinking at the time, went into the convenience store for help.
"This may be where the drinking comes in," the defense attorney told the jury. Instead of asking for a phone or asking for police to be called, the defense attorney said Ward told the store clerk he needed a ride.
Ward denied brandishing the knife toward the store clerk. His defense attorney said he made no attempt to steal money or items from the store.
"He (Ward) knows what he did in the store," Assistant Seventh Circuit Solicitor Mike Morin told the court. "He confined (the store clerk) and took her freedom."
And if Ward was simply seeking shelter from an attack, as he had claimed, Morin questioned why he ran when police were called and was found on Interstate 85 North, heading away from Asheville. "If you're not guilty of anything, you don't run," Morin told the jury.
Ward offered his apologies to the court and the store clerk before he was sentenced.
Morin noted during Ward's sentencing the convenience store clerk was robbed a second time just a few days after the Sept. 10, 2008, incident, and has since quit.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

By Tim Gulla
Ledger Staff Writer

Defendant Claims he was Victim

A Cherokee County jury is being asked to decide if an Asheville, N.C., man attempted to rob a Blacksburg gas station or whether he was a victim himself.
A trial opened for Jerry Lee Ward, 49, Tuesday in Cherokee County General Sessions Court before a jury of seven women and five men.
Ward is accused of attempted armed robbery, kidnapping and assault with intent to kill in connection with a September 10, 2008, incident in which he is accused of approaching a convenience store worker with a knife while she was stocking a cooler and holding the knife to her throat while demanding a ride.
Ward's attorney, Don Thompson, argued that Ward had been assaulted by two other people outside the BP gas station and convenience store that morning and had simply gone into the store looking for help.
Tammy Broadway, the lone store clerk working when the incident occurred, testified Tuesday afternoon that she was in the store's walk-in cooler, re-stocking drinks, when Ward entered the cooler while holding a knife.
Startled by the sight, she said she dropped the drink bottles she was holding.
"He said he was desperate and wanted me to take him for a ride," she told the jury.
While in the tight confines of the cooler, she said Ward grabbed her smock and then held the knife to her throat but let go of her a minute or two later. Not knowing what would happen, the clerk said she finally agreed to give Ward a ride and said he allowed her to walk out of the cooler so she could get her keys from the front counter.
Broadway said she triggered the store's silent alarm when she bent down to get her keys. She said Ward, who was following close behind, saw her push the button and then ran out the door. She said she immediately locked the store's doors and called police.
Under questioning from Thompson, the clerk said Ward never stole or demanded money or products from the store. She said he also didn't verbally threaten or harm her when she pushed the alarm.
"This case is kind of like a coin," Thompson told the jury at the start of the trial. "It has two sides."
He said Ward had been assaulted that morning outside the gas station. "When the assault was over with, (Ward) went into the BP for help," the defense attorney claimed.
When questioned, the store clerk said she saw no signs of injury on Ward such as cuts, bruises or torn clothing.
Ward's jury was selected from a 48- member jury pool Tuesday morning. Circuit Court Judge Roger Couch is presiding over the case.
Thompson had sought dismissal of the charges prior to the trial, arguing the police and prosecutors had failed to turn over a security video from inside the store, which Ward claimed would prove his innocence.
A member of the Blacksburg Police Department, who investigated the incident, said the video he saw was worthless and was not taken into evidence. It was subsequently learned Tuesday afternoon that the video has long been copied over and could not be obtained.
Closing arguments are expected for 9 a.m. today.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

By Tim Gulla
Ledger Staff Writer

Four People are Charged in Blacksburg Crime Spree

Blacksburg Police Chief Jamie Ham was sharing in the frustration of town residents.
For several nights in a row, Ham was out driving around town or staked out in his vehicle until 2 a.m., hoping to catch the person(s) responsible for a growing number of vandalism incidents and larcenies around town. He caught no one in the act but still was being greeted almost each morning with reports of more incidents that had occurred overnight.
On Monday, the Blacksburg Police Department announced it had charged one teenage boy and three juveniles in connection with a crime spree that included 11 vehicle break-ins, 10 acts of vandalism and two burglaries.
Almost all of the incidents occurred in a daily range from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. Investigations are ongoing, Ham said, and additional people could be charged.
The Blacksburg Police Department also is working with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office to see if a recent raft of vehicle break-ins reported by the county is related.
While police had collected various pieces of evidence during the past few weeks, including fingerprints at crime scenes, Ham confirmed it was an eyewitness who led Blacksburg Police to a 17-year-old boy. Police then were able to zero in on three additional suspects.
All of the fingerprint evidence collected at the various scenes will have to be tested by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division abd no results have come back yet. "Whether it's tied to them or not, we won't know for some time," Ham said.
The numbers associated with the crime spree actually rose between Monday, when the police announced the fruits of their investigations, and Tuesday when additional reports came in from town residents.
Ham said the police department has now documented 18 acts of vandalism, 15 car break-ins and three burglaries or attempted burglaries. Most of the car break-ins targeted unlocked vehicles.
Several of the acts of vandalism included the spray painting of gang symbols on vehicles, an apartment complex sign and a home. Police knew almost immediately, however, that they weren't dealing with organized gang activity.
"They (the vandals) don't even know what the symbols mean," Ham said. "Some of the symbols were for the Bloods, some were for the Crips, and they were doing them at the same time."
The two gangs actually have a bitter rivalry.
"It was obvious they (the gang symbols) weren't gang related," Ham said.
Theft losses and damage estimates contained in the police reports associated with the crime spree totaled several thousand dollars.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Monday, March 09, 2009

By Tim Gulla
Ledger Staff Writer

Phone Campaign is Legit

Two weeks into a telephone campaign to raise funds in Cherokee County, Peter McBride said he's still getting calls from people wondering if the campaign is legit.
He doesn't mind, however, and has been happy to pick up the phone himself to let people know the campaign is on the up and up.
"There are so many scams out there," agreed the president of Cherokee Lodge No. 20 of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). "We don't mind people being cautious."
McBride, who serves as a sergeant in the Blacksburg Police Department, said his police department has fielded calls from concerned citizens inquiring about the program. Despite some anticipated and logical skepticism from area residents, however, McBride believes the effort has been going well.
"The response from the public has been pretty good given the current economic situation," McBride relayed. "Not everybody can help the way they might want to."
The food basket drive is a new program for the local FOP, which already conducts a Christmas fundraiser for its "Christmas with a Cop" toy drive for disadvantaged children.
The phone campaign will continue for two more weeks.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Friday, February 27, 2009

By Tim Gulla
Ledger Staff Writer

Fraternal Order of Police Soliciting Funds for Elderly

Serving as the public information officer for the Blacksburg Police Department among his many other duties, Sgt. Peter McBride is accustomed to talking with area residents about things such as the latest phone scams.
McBride's hoping, however, that people won't hang up their phones when the Fraternal Order of Police, Cherokee Lodge No. 20, is doing the calling.
The local police lodge started its first phone fundraising drive this week and will be conducting the drive over the next month, said McBride, who serves as lodge president.
The grand lodge of the nationwide organization has conducted fund drives by phone in the past, McBride said, but it's never been done before in Cherokee County.
McBride said the fund drive has several specific goals and that the amount of money the organization raises will determine how many of those goals are met.
The organization's first goal is to raise funds for a Thanksgiving [actually, for Easter] food basket program for local elderly and shut-in residents.
"We do the Christmas with a Cop program every year for children," he said. "We've been talking about doing something for the elderly and we thought this might be a good way to go about it."
A second goal is to raise money for renovations at the lodge located above the Blacksburg police station. "Right now it's just a shell," McBride said. "We've done the demolition and we're trying to raise money for materials."
Any additional money raised will be applied to the organization's distressed officers fund which provides assistance for police officers in need, such as those who are sick or are injured in the line of duty and unable to work.
"I don't know if we'll get that far down the list but we can hope," McBride said.
McBride initially had expected the calling to start today but calling began Monday due to fast approval of the effort by state regulators.
A professional firm that works with other FOP lodges is doing the calling for the Cherokee Lodge out of temporary office on North Limestone Street in Gaffney.
McBride said the firm will be making calls from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Knowing that people have become jaded by frequent reports of phone solicitation scams, McBride said, "Our main concern is making sure people knew we are legitimate."

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Monday, January 12, 2009

Police Reports

The Blacksburg Police Department is investigating a report of a Peeping Tom at a North Mountain Street truck stop.
According to a police report, a female truck driver was taking a shower at the Flying J. Truck Plaza on Jan. 6 at about 2 p.m. when she opened the shower curtain and noticed someone looking under the bottom of the door. As the woman grabbed a towel, the peeper jumped up and left. The woman could only tell police the individual in the room was a white person who did not wear glasses. Police have no suspects.

A windshield was smashed by a vandal on West Carolina Street in Blacksburg.
According to the Blacksburg Police Department, someone apparently jumped on the hood of a 1996 Dodge Caravan and smashed the windshield between 9 p.m. Jan. 7 and 6 a.m. Jan. 8 while the vehicle was parked in the 100 block of West Carolina Street. The damage was estimated at $100.

A handgun was reported stolen from a Wright Street, Blacksburg, home.
According to the Blacksburg Police Department, the gun owner was asked about his weapon when a witness saw it in the possession of another man. The gun owner then went to determine the location of his gun and discovered it missing from his home. The .38-caliber handgun was stolen between Jan. 7 and Jan. 8.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Friday, January 02, 2009

By Tim Gulla
Ledger Staff Writer

Unofficial Data Indicates Sharpest Decline in Traffic Fatalities in Past Decade

While official numbers have not yet been compiled, 2008 appears to have ended with the least amount of traffic deaths on South Carolina roadways in the past decade.
According to unofficial numbers provided by the South Carolina Highway Patrol, 897 people were killed on South Carolina's Highways in 2008 through Dec. 31, which is down 180 deaths from the 1,077 people who died during the same time span in 2007. Looking at Highway Patrol accident data, you have to go back to 1997 to find the last year in which the highway death toll dipped near the 900 mark.
"Even though the state is down in fatalities, we plan to try to reduce them even more," said Lance Cpl. Jeff Gaskin of the S.C. Highway Patrol. "Everyone is working hard to reduce fatalities and we're also partnering with local law enforcement agencies with a common goal in mind — that's saving lives."
Heading into the New Year's Day celebration, members of the Highway Patrol, Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, Gaffney Police Department and Blacksburg Police Department were out in full force New Year's Eve.
The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office reported at least four arrests late Wednesday into early Thursday for driving under the influence of alcohol. Arrest and activity reports for Post A of the Highway Patrol, which covers Cherokee and Union Counties, should be made available after the holiday period.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol and the sheriff's office also partnered for a multi-jurisdictional safety checkpoint during the holiday. Part of a major crack down that began Dec. 12, Gaskin said the Highway Patrol's "Sober or Slammer" campaign runs through this weekend. In addition to multi-jurisdictional checkpoints, the campaign involved "flex scheduling" of troopers to put manpower on the roadways when needed most.
As typical, Gaskin said the campaign was focusing on three main issues: drunk driving, speeding and seat belt violations.
"These violations are present in most fatalities we investigate," he said.
While it's not immediately clear if it had a direct impact on a lower fatality rate in 2008, the Highway Patrol has been focusing more attention on problematic areas, where crash rates and fatality rates have been higher.
"We'll continue to do that this year and in 2009," Gaskin said. "We won't be doing this alone. Traffic fatalities are a community problem. We need everyone on board from local law enforcement to the community and the media so we can reduce fatalities." South Carolina Traffic
Fatalities By Year:
1997 — 903
1998 — 1001
1999 — 1064
2000 — 1063
2001 — 1060
2002 — 1053
2003 — 969
2004 — 1046
2005 — 1093
2006 — 1044
2007 — 1077 (unofficial)
2008 — 897 (unofficial)
Source: South Carolina Highway Patrol