$1 million bond set for man charged with DUI in Columbia, SC police say
The Columbia Police Department said a man was arrested on a DUI charge following a crash that occurred on the Gervais Street bridge.
William Joseph Livingston was charged with felony driving under the influence resulting in bodily injury, police said in a Monday night news release.
The crash happened Sunday night on the bridge connecting downtown Columbia and West Columbia, Deputy Chief Melron Kelly told The State Tuesday. A pedestrian visiting the Midlands was walking on a sidewalk on the eastbound side of the bridge when he was hit by an SUV that ran up on the sidewalk, Kelly said. The pedestrian was dragged by the vehicle before being thrown over the guardrail, according to Kelly.
The pedestrian did not land in the water, but fell onto the bank of the Congaree River, Kelly said.
Emergency responders found the victim and took him to an area hospital, according to Kelly. The victim suffered serious injuries, but further information about his condition was not available.
An investigation showed that no structural damage on the bridge or road caused the crash, which was determined to be caused by the driver’s level of intoxication, Kelly said.
Members of SCDOT worked with police to repair slight damage to a metal guardrail caused by the collision, according to Kelly. All lanes of the bridge have since been reopened, Kelly said.
After being taken to a hospital for treatment, Livingston was arrested and is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, police said. The 30-year-old’s bond was set at $1,000,000, jail records show. Livingston is scheduled to return to court Aug. 28, according to Richland County judicial records.
Despite Livingston’s arrest, police said they are continuing to investigate the incident. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at 803-545-3500.
Lexington County court records show that Livingston has been previously arrested and pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including one count of open container of beer or wine in motor vehicle.
Bridge over the Congaree River
Along with the Blossom Street bridge and the Jarvis Klapman bridge, the Gervais Street bridge is one of three in downtown that funnels traffic between Columbia and Lexington County.
Last year, an average of 26,900 drivers crossed the Gervais Street bridge daily, according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
Prior to Sunday, there have been at least 14 collisions on the Gervais Street bridge between January 2024 and March 2026, The State previously reported. One of those occurred Feb. 5, during the morning commute, and another happened March 14 when one person was killed and another was seriously injured.
The bridge that spans the Congaree River has narrow lanes, and improper lane usage was the primary factor in nearly half of the past crashes.
When construction on the bridge, as it’s currently constituted, was completed in June 1928, it had the widest roadway in South Carolina, The State reported. Now, its lanes are each about four feet shorter in width than is recommended for bridges built today.
“As the Midlands grow, as Columbia grows, the traffic flow also has grown,” Kelly said. “Drivers have got to take their time on the bridge.”
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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 8:15 AM with the headline "$1 million bond set for man charged with DUI in Columbia, SC police say."
