Family calls for justice in fatal CCSO deputy-involved collision

GREEN POND, S.C. (WCBD) – A deputy has been charged a month after a deadly wreck that killed three people on Mother’s Day.

South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP) says arrest warrants have been issued for the deputy-involved, Emily Pelletier and she has been charged with three counts of reckless homicide.

Stephanie Dantzler and her two daughters Shanice and Miranda Dantzler-Williams were killed in the accident. Family members say the past month has been difficult for them.

“That’s 3 lives. That’s a whole family gone. It is terrible, there’s no other way for me to see it,” says Betty R. Simmons, the mother of Stephanie Dantzler.

Simmons says she is still grieving after learning more about the fatal wreck.

“They thought that we were going to sit back, let it happen, and won’t do anything. Little did they know I laid them down to rest and got me a lawyer. That’s what I did,” says Simmons.

After nearly a month of investigating, Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano says Deputy Pelletier was responding to a call without her lights and sirens on. She was going 73 mph according to SCHP when she ran a stop sign and hit the victims’ car, killing all three passengers

“She couldn’t turn. She would be flipping over and over and didn’t hit my girls to save her life. She would’ve run into the woods. There’s no way she could have gotten around them,” says Simmons.

Officials say Pelletier’s camera was not on during the accident. Sheriff Graziano says now she’s focused on implementing additional safety measures for her department.

“The cameras turn on when lights are activated. If there’s a collision, they turn it on in 30 seconds. In addition to that, they turn on at speed. We have lowered the speed to 80 mph so that the cameras turn on,” says Sheriff Graziano.

Stephanie’s brother Eric Dantzler says moving forward he hopes justice is served as he and his family work to come to terms with the devastating loss.

“It’s just a hard pill to swallow. For the people they were, we are a tight knitted family,” he says.

Deputy Pelletier is expected to have a bond hearing Wednesday, June 8.