Deputies fired after driving van into floodwaters, killing 2

CONWAY, S.C. – A South Carolina sheriff’s office has fired two deputies who drove a transport van into floodwaters, resulting in the death of two mental-health patients.

The Horry County Sheriff’s Office announced the decision Wednesday as part of an investigation into the actions of deputies Stephen Flood and Joshua Bishop.

The pair were driving 45-year-old Wendy Newton and 43-year-old Nicolette Green to a facility as part of a court order when floodwaters rose from heavy rains unleashed by Hurricane Florence. Green and Newton drowned in the back of the van Sept. 18. Flood and Bishop tried unsuccessfully to rescue the women.