News Release: Intoxicated Driver Injures Two K-9 Handlers
- Deputy Jamie Burton
- 4 days ago
- 1 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
03/15/26
Two RCSD K-9 handlers are recovering today after being struck by an intoxicated driver in the early morning hours.
On March 15, 2026, at approximately 1:15 a.m., deputies were conducting traffic enforcement on I277 N near the Farrow exit. Two K-9 handlers were sitting off of the roadway running radar when a vehicle left the roadway and hit both K-9 vehicles at a high rate of speed. An RCSD K-9 became entrapped in a vehicle, and the driver of the vehicle that left the roadway also became entrapped.
CFD responded and was able to extricate both the entrapped K-9 and the other driver. Both K-9 handlers were treated at a local hospital with injuries. The other driver was transported to the hospital by EMS. The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the collision. The other driver was determined to be intoxicated by SCHP during the course of their investigation. He was identified as Nicholas Jackson (21) and charged with Driving Under the Influence by SCHP.
K-9 handlers Richard Jeffcoat and Robert Beary have been released from the hospital and are home recovering. K-9s Kiro and Raffe were unharmed, and K9 Ribeye was monitored after being entrapped in the vehicle but not showing signs of injury.
The first picture is K-9 Specialist Robert Beary and K-9 Raffe, the second is K-9 Specialist Richard Jeffcoat and K-9 Ribeye (Ribeye is the K-9 that was entrapped in the vehicle), and the third picture is of K-9 Specialist Jeffcoat's other K-9, Kiro. Both Ribeye and Kiro were in K-9 Specialist Jeffcoat's vehicle at the time of the collision.
