James Island to memorialize teen hit while skateboarding at dangerous intersection

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) — Thursday night, the town of James Island is looking to memorialize a teen, while drawing attention to auto-pedestrian safety along Fort Johnson Road.

Residents in the area said the intersections are the most dangerous parts to go through along Fort Johnson Road on James Island.

“Me and my 4-year-old nephew were on a scooter and a car ran the stop sign and threw me and my nephew off the scooter,” said Shelby Ivery, a resident on James Island.

According to Charleston County, there have been 38 accidents at the Fort Johnson-Camp Road intersection over the last five years. There have been over 40 at the Fort Johnson-Seccessionville Road, including one just this week.

“We just had a serious accident coming from that intersection this past Monday. There have been a lot of crashes there, it’s a hard intersection to see, you’ve got people coming out of stone post, Fort Johnson is heavily trafficked. It’s a mess, I avoid it at all costs and I’m looking forward to the roundabout being completed,” said James Island Mayor Brook Lyon.

Charleston County is working on intersection improvement projects to make these roadways safer and draw attention to the dangers that speeding drivers pose.

Thursday night at town hall, James Island hopes to memorize Gabriel Seagraves, who lost his life almost 10 years ago. He was skateboarding at the intersection of Secessionville Road and Kentwood circle when a speeding car coming off of Fort Johnson Road hit him. At Thursday’s town council meeting, members will vote on a measure to rename that intersection in his honor

“It would be in memory of him 10 years to the accident and what would’ve been his 25th birthday. He had a bright future, he wanted to be an astronomer; he was in the accelerated program, he was an accomplished artist, member of his church, he had a promising future which was cut short,” said Darren “Troy” Mullinax, a James Island Councilmen.