Clover SC town councilman charged with DUI after traffic incident, police say
A South Carolina town councilman has been charged with DUI after a traffic incident in Clover, police said.
Wesley Blair Spurrier, 50, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after an incident Thursday night around 10 p.m., said Master Trooper Gary Miller of the S.C. Highway Patrol.
Spurrier is a Clover Town Council member, Clover Police Department Chief Randy Grice said.
Spurrier was found in nearby woods after the traffic incident, according to a Clover police incident report.
Spurrier was in the York County jail at 11 a.m. Friday morning on a charge of DUI after he was booked around 3 a.m. Friday, according to York County Sheriff’s Office jail records and the jail website. The jail website shows Spurrier has been given a $992 bond.
Spurrier was arrested after a 2015 Hyundai hit a curb near the corner of Clinton Avenue and Memorial Drive in Clover, Miller said.
A passenger was in the car, Miller said. There were no injuries, Miller said.
A booking report from the sheriff’s office shows Spurrier was charged with DUI first offense. It is unclear if Spurrier has a lawyer.
Troopers called because suspect is councilman
The incident happened inside the town limits of Clover, but state troopers were called to the scene by the Clover Police Department, Miller said.
Grice, the police chief, said town officers initially responded to the traffic incident. When town police officers determined Spurrier was a town councilman, Grice said town officers contacted the highway patrol to investigate to avoid any potential conflict of interest.
A Clover police incident report obtained by The Herald states Clover officers found an unoccupied car registered to Spurrier in a yard near the intersection of Memorial Drive and Clinton Avenue. The report states officers called the highway patrol because Spurrier is a current town council member.
Spurrier was not in the car at the time it was found, the Clover report stated. Spurrier was located in nearby woods and brought back to the scene, officers said in the report. Spurrier was then charged, the report stated.
Clover form of government
Clover is a town of about 6,000 people in York County, southwest of Charlotte. It has a town manager/council form of government. Council members are part-time.
Spurrier was re-elected in 2019 to a four-year term, according to a release after the 2019 election from the town of Clover. A 2019 Facebook page for Spurrier’s campaign said he was first elected in 2005.
Clover town manager Allison Harvey said in an emailed statement to The Herald she and other council members have been made aware of the arrest.
This story was originally published March 18, 2022 at 11:49 AM.
