Melissa Lubrico Killed in Aynor Motorcycle Accident
Ryan Carl Peavy charged with felony DUI and hit-and-run in connection with the fatal motorcycle crash
Melissa Lubrico, 45, of Galivants Ferry, died Tuesday after a motorcycle accident last weekend near Aynor, according to authorities.
Horry County Fire Rescue crews were dispatched to the area of Bud Graham Road and 7th Avenue shortly after 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
Lubrico was a passenger on a motorcycle traveling east on 7th Avenue when it ran off the road, patrolmen said.
The motorcycle was driven by 44-year-old Ryan Carl Peavy of Aynor.
Peavy was arrested and charged with felony driving under the influence resulting in death and hit-and-run involving death, according to officials.
He was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on Sunday and released to home detention on a $20,000 bond.
Lubrico died from traumatic injuries, authorities said.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
An attorney investigating the case will consider all factors, from witness statements to accident reconstruction, to determine liability.
National Legal Analyst Candice Bond, Managing Partner at Bond Legal, noted that "I've seen families shattered by the physics of a high-speed impact that simply wasn't survivable. Speed differential is actually a better predictor of severity than how fast the cars were originally going."
South Carolina wrongful death statute
Under S.C. Code § 15-51-10, surviving family members may file a wrongful death action. South Carolina applies modified comparative fault (51% bar). The statute of limitations is 3 years.
Recoverable damages may include loss of financial support, loss of companionship, funeral expenses, and mental shock and suffering.