SC woman said she hit a deer, then she was taken to jail, SLED reported. Here’s why
A woman was recently arrested after saying that she’d crashed into a deer with her vehicle, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. The wreck wasn’t the reason she was taken into custody, rather it was because she’s accused of committing insurance fraud, SLED said in a news release.
Queen Viola Arthur, a 33-year-old Hartsville resident, was charged with presenting false claim for insurance, according to the release.
On Oct. 12, 2023, Arthur “knowingly submitted a false claim for insurance payment to Progressive Northern Insurance Company,” an arrest warrant said.
Arthur said she crashed into a deer with her insured vehicle and sent photos of the damage to Progressive, claiming the vehicle had no prior unrepaired damage, according to the arrest warrant. But metadata from three of the photos showed the pictures were taken before she had an insurance policy, as well as prior to the date of the wreck, the arrest warrant shows.
“Arthur attempted to gain an undeserved economic advantage by presenting a false claim totaling $2,014.54,” the arrest warrant said.
Progressive denied the claim and Arthur was arrested Jan. 6, according to the arrest warrant.
Arthur was released the same day from the Darlington County Detention Center after posting a $2,000 bond, jail records show.
The South Carolina Department of Insurance will prosecute the case after the agency asked SLED to lead the investigation.
If convicted on the felony presenting false claim for insurance charge, Arthur faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine, according to South Carolina law.
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This story was originally published January 26, 2025 at 12:05 PM with the headline "SC woman said she hit a deer, then she was taken to jail, SLED reported. Here’s why."
