A South Carolina woman who prosecutors say fled a deadly drunk-driving crash stopped to pick up her daughter from elementary school before she was arrested.
Kayla Tisdale, 38, pleaded guilty on June 9 to felony driving under the influence resulting in death. She was sentenced to 14 years in prison, according to South Carolina’s Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
The case stems from an April 4, 2025, crash that killed 62-year-old Steven Marshall, a retired police sergeant from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, who had moved to the Myrtle Beach area after his law enforcement career.
Prosecutors said Tisdale was driving on Sea Mountain Highway in North Myrtle Beach around 1:30 p.m. when she failed to yield to Marshall, who was riding a motorcycle.
Marshall was killed “almost instantly,” according to prosecutors.
After the crash, Tisdale allegedly left the scene and went to pick up her daughter from elementary school. South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers arrested her as she pulled up to a house, officials said.
Prosecutors said Tisdale’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.19, nearly three times South Carolina’s legal limit of 0.08. Troopers who found her after the crash said she showed signs of “gross intoxication.”
In court, Tisdale admitted she had been drinking since 8:30 a.m. that day, prosecutors said. She also said she did not remember buying her last drink from a Circle K convenience store, though officials said the purchase was captured on surveillance video.
Judge Michael Nettles sentenced Tisdale to 14 years behind bars. Under South Carolina law, she must serve at least 85% of the sentence before she can become eligible for supervised release.
The DUI case was not Tisdale’s only legal trouble.
About two months earlier, she pleaded guilty in federal court in an unrelated case. Prosecutors said Tisdale admitted to misprision of a felony after concealing $750,000 in cash and gold bullion tied to a drug-trafficking scheme.
Tisdale told the court that stress from that federal case led her to drink heavily.
Assistant Solicitor Brandon Lanier condemned her actions after the sentencing.
“Our community lost a career public servant, who spent the better part of 20 years attempting to save lives, simply because Ms. Tisdale chose to become grossly impaired before 9:00 a.m. that day,” Lanier said.
Marshall served with the Bethlehem Police Department for 22 years before retiring in 2010.
The department remembered him as a dedicated officer whose service left a lasting impact.
“His dedication, professionalism, and commitment during his more than two decades of service left an indelible mark on our department and all who had the privilege of working alongside him,” the department said. “His legacy and contributions to the department will not be forgotten.”
This action is premeditated b,when you chose to drink and drive