HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — The estate of an Horry County man who was killed after being thrown from a jon boat last summer along the Intracoastal Waterway agreed to a $505,000 settlement in May, court records show.
Jacob Williams, 24, died after being thrown from the vessel after it struck a dock the night of June 18, 2023. Police said the driver, Matthew Brown, was intoxicated at the time.
Williams’ family in August sued Brown on grounds of negligence and wrongful death. Their complaint said Brown was “negligent, willful, reckless, grossly negligent” in that he operated a boat too fast for conditions and failed to maintain a proper lookout.
The sides on May 14 settled for $505,000.
Brown was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on July 5 after the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources charged him with felony boating under the influence and obstructing justice, online jail records show. He was released on a $25,000 bond.
The case is still pending, according to court records.
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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
