FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Trooper First class George Radford spent 16 years with the state highway patrol after two tours of duty in Vietnam that earned him a Purple Heart.
Late on the night of Oct. 29, 1988, Radford stopped a car driven by Warren Douglas Manning, who was traveling along Highway 34 in Dillon County with a defective headlight.
Manning pulled into a driveway about 10:40 p.m., where Radford issued him a ticket before dispatchers told him the man’s license was suspended. Manning got permission from the property owner to keep his vehicle there to avoid a tow.
By 11:15 p.m., Radford radioed for help — a desperate plea recorded on his radio but not heard by dispatchers. His wife called headquarters after Radford never got home from his shift.
Sometime after midnight, Manning got back into his vehicle and drove away.
“It was an honor for him to be a trooper,” Cassie Radford said of her late father. “I was only 15 when he passed, but every time I saw him in uniform, he exuded a sense of strength, kindness, and compassion. My dad loved the Highway Patrol, and he died doing exactly what he wanted to do.”