EUTAWVILLE, S.C. — The Eutawville Police Department says there has been an ongoing issue of people riding dirt bikes illegally on the roads.
“They’re operating them in manners that are putting other people in danger," said Eutawville police chief Sean Hopkins.
Over the past year, the department has documented several incidents. According to chief Sean Hopkins, the most alarming was in November when he got a call about a group of four wheelers driving around an ambulance transporting a patient to the hospital.
“To me, that was what I consider the tipping point because now it’s not just about you wanna run from the blue lights, now you’re actually interfering with somebody’s health and safety," he said.
Hopkins adds most of these bikes are only permitted to be driven off the road.
“We’re asking them to stay off the road. We’re asking them to use the bikes responsibly, he said.
If not, they could face violations for operating an uninsured and unregistered vehicle.
Hopkins says he's been cracking down on the issue by identifying the bikers through security video. However, he says it's going to take a community effort with state agencies and other local police to stop the issue once and for all.
Hopkins says he wants to collaborate with South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Orangeburg County to combat the issue on a broader scale.
