Signal 46

Via the Post & Courier

Man faces reckless homicide charge
Accident Claimed Life of Deputy

By Nita Birmingham

GOOSE CREEK – The driver police said caused a weekend head-on collision with an off-duty deputy’s car was charged Wednesday with reckless homicide in her death.

Michael Edward Murray, 33, of Goose Creek had been charged with hit-and-run with personal injury after the Sunday morning crash. That charge was dismissed, and police filed new charges of hit-and-run resulting in death and reckless homicide following Berkeley County deputy Dawn Tillman’s death Tuesday night. She was 37.

Murray also is charged with giving false information to police, sixth-offense driving under suspension and being a habitual offender. His total bail is $180,000. At the request of the Solicitor’s Office, Murray’s bail will be suspended if he’s caught driving, Goose Creek police spokeswoman Casey Hoskins said.

Murray’s license was suspended last year until 2011 because he was a habitual traffic offender, according to his 10-year driver’s record on file with the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles.

Goose Creek police said Murray was driving a van that crossed the center line of North Rhett Extension and hit Tillman’s oncoming Mustang. Murray left in a pickup truck, witnesses told police. Tillman suffered severe head injuries and was taken off life support Tuesday night at Trident Medical Center.

Murray’s 10-year driving history shows 13 traffic violations and at least 12 license suspensions.

Murray is charged with sixth-offense driving under suspension because law enforcement can reference only the previous five years of a driver’s history when charging someone with driving under suspension.

While Murray appeared in Goose Creek Municipal Court on new charges, the

Lowcountry law enforcement community began planning another funeral. Tillman’s funeral will be the fourth this year for an officer who died unexpectedly.

Moncks Corner police officers Pfc. Lonnie Wells and Cpl. Marcus Stiles were fatally shot March 25 while handling a domestic disturbance call.

Dorchester County sheriff’s Cpl. Mike Deese and his K-9 partner Sonja were killed March 9 when a driver traveled into oncoming traffic and hit their patrol car on Interstate 26.

“It’s like we’re in quicksand and we can’t get out,” Berkeley County sheriff’s Maj. Ricky Driggers said this week.

Lt. Cliff McElvogue, who supervised Tillman, said he doesn’t remember a more tragic year for law enforcement in nearly 33 years in the field.

Tillman will be honored with a 21-gun salute and will receive the traditional law enforcement last call on the radio. Her funeral will be noon Friday at Crossroads Community Church at 505 Gahagan Road in Summerville.