NC man, guilty of DUI in crash that killed Myrtle Beach nurse, gets 22 years in prison
Found guilty of killing a Myrtle Beach nurse during a drunken crash, a North Carolina man will now spend decades behind bars.
Claybon Atwater, 38, was sentenced last week to 22 years in prison after being convicted on charges stemming an April 2019 crash in the North Myrtle Beach area, according to a news release from the Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
Donna Schnell, a 54-year-old nurse at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center, died on impact from the crash on U.S. 17. She and her husband, David, were driving a three-wheeled motorcycle, and David Schnell suffered multiple injuries including a broken jaw and dislocated shoulder.
Witnesses said a Mercury failed to yield the right-of-way and hit the motorcycle, according to a police report. Witnesses also said a man, later identified as Atwater, was driving during the crash, but switched seats with a woman in the car.
The woman told police Atwater was the driver, according to the report. There was also a 12-year-old passenger in Atwater’s car.
When officers spoke to Atwater, they said they could smell alcohol on him, and he contentiously dropped his head as if he was falling asleep. Atwater was ultimately charged with felony DUI causing death and another felony DUI causing great bodily injury.
Atwater’s legal troubles extend beyond the 22-year sentence, as the Burlington, North Carolina man is also facing a first-degree attempted murder charge in his hometown.
On Dec. 29, 2020, Burlington police went to Bella Grocery and found a man who had been shot multiple times, according to the agency. The victim has since been treated and released from the hospital.
Atwater, who was free on bond from the felony DUI charges at the time, was accused of participating in the shooting and arrested in January. That charge is still pending, according to Burlington Police.
David Schnell also sued Atwater in Horry County for wrongful death in pursuit of an unspecified amount of money. Family members previously told The Sun News that he was facing more than $100,000 in medical bills with insurance only covering a fraction of those costs.
This story was originally published November 8, 2021 at 2:07 PM with the headline "NC man, guilty of DUI in crash that killed Myrtle Beach nurse, gets 22 years in prison."
