Victim in hit and run improving

A pedestrian injured in an early-morning hit-and-run accident on Folly Beach this month was making a slow recovery at a local hospital Friday, a day after a suspect surrendered to face charges in the case.

George Heath Jr., a 31-year-old construction worker, still had trouble breathing on his own, his older sister, Pamela Robinson, said. Medical University Hospital listed his condition as fair on Friday, up from serious a day earlier.

"He's still on a ventilator," said Robinson, who lives in Texas. "They're still trying to wean him off of that."

Lance Cleveland Taylor, 47, surrendered to police Thursday on Folly Beach, Charleston County sheriff's Maj. John Clark said. The sheriff's office had identified Taylor earlier in the day.

Taylor, whose last address was on Folly Beach, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with bodily injury. His bond was set at $20,000, and he remained at the Charleston County jail late Friday.

Witness statements and evidence led detectives to identify Taylor as the person behind the wheel of a 1995 Toyota Tercel that hit Heath, Clark said. A police report says that Heath and his girlfriend were walking north in a bicycle lane along Folly Road around 2:15 a.m. Aug. 9 when a vehicle hit him from behind. The impact sent him about 60 feet into a marsh.

Robinson said Heath is her only sibling. He moved to Charleston last year or early this year, she said. They were raised in upstate New York, where their parents still live.

Reach Noah Haglund at 937-5550 or nhaglund@postandcourier.com.