How many pedestrians were killed on US-17 between Garden City and Pawleys Island?

Ten people were killed walking this fifteen-mile stretch of US-17 and US-17 Business between 2022 and 2024, according to NHTSA federal crash records. Two in 2022, four in 2023, and four in 2024.

Why is US-17 so dangerous for pedestrians in this area?

The corridor pairs main-street land use with highway design. Destinations line both sides, but the road is posted at 45 to 60 mph with four to five lanes and only five marked crossings in fifteen miles, none in the central nine miles between Murrells Inlet and Litchfield. Nine of the ten deaths happened after dark.

How dangerous is Murrells Inlet compared to other US neighborhoods?

The SafeStreets crash-risk model ranks Murrells Inlet in the 81st percentile of US metro neighborhoods for pedestrian risk, riskier than four out of five, with a model-predicted 3.9 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents per year.

What would make US-17 safer for people walking?

The FHWA Proven Safety Countermeasures matched to this corridor are lighting and pedestrian hybrid beacons, marked crossings with median refuge islands roughly every half-mile, continuous separated sidewalks, speed management, and daylighting at each crossing. These are the same measures in SCDOT’s Georgetown County project.

When will South Carolina fix US-17 in Georgetown County?

SCDOT held a public meeting on its Georgetown County US-17 project in May 2026, with construction not scheduled to start until fall 2027 and finishing around 2029, seven years after the first of these ten deaths, covering only part of the corridor. Murrells Inlet has no equivalent project scheduled.

US-17: fifteen miles of coastal highway with five places to cross

Ten people were killed walking US Highway 17 between Garden City and Pawleys Island, SC, from 2022 to 2024. Nine died in the dark. An interactive evidence report on the crashes, the road design, and the fixes.

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