COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Richland County Coroner's Office has identified a woman found dead after authorities say she drove into the Broad River as deputies pursued her.
The Richland County Sheriff's Department said they were called to 1630 Longcreek Dr., near Broad River Road, for a domestic situation around 1 p.m. Wednesday. The person who called deputies said that a female suspect had just struck him with her car and was trying to do it again.
Deputies said the suspect started driving away when they got to the scene. Deputies said they pursued her and that she went through the dead end of Omarest Drive and into the waters of the Broad River.
Richland County deputies said they got out of their vehicles and entered the water to find the woman. Additional officers, a dive team, emergency services, firefighters, and the Department of Natural Resources joined the search.
Deputies said the dive team found the driver submerged about an hour and a half after the car entered the water. First responders attempted several life-saving procedures, but the woman died at the scene.
Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford has identified the woman as Tierra Hamer, 23, of Columbia.
"Our hearts are heavy with this loss of life and we will continue to support the family, as well as our deputies," the sheriff's department said in a statement.
Deborah Starks Good lives just feet from the end of Omarest Drive and says while this incident is unique, she wants the sheriff's department to increase their patrols.
“If the Sheriff’s department would come and check a lot, I think it would get better. But they don’t come unless we call. That’s when we hear a lot of racket going on back there like the shooting at night and the partying and stuff. Then we call, because we can’t sleep with all that noise going on," Good said.
Shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday, crews removed Hamer's car from the river.
The incident remains under investigation.