'People need to realize that if a road is closed, there is a good reason.'
Greer Police Chief Reynolds
Five times city workers were called back to Suber Road near Sweetbriar Court Saturday where the Enoree River overflowed a bridge. Barricades placed at the closed road had been pushed aside each time, according to Reynolds.
“People need to realize that if a road is closed, there is a good reason,” Reynolds said. “Someone may have a four-wheel drive vehicle and think they can get through the water. Maybe they can, but they’re risking the lives of other drivers.”
“Interfering with traffic control devices is a felony,” Reynolds said. “We will increase surveillance at these locations in the future to ensure the safety of our residents.”
Anyone violating the code may be fined no less than $1,000, imprisoned not longer than five years, or both. The individual’s driver’s license must also be revoked for not longer than five years, according to the city’s communication department.
If injury results from the act, the sentence carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. If a death results, the sentence increases to as many as 30 years.
“Video and photos from the storm damage in Columbia should be enough to deter an intelligent person from taking senseless risks,” Reynolds said. “We were lucky to avoid the worst of this storm, but we will be watching future storms – and drivers – carefully.”