Lightning Strike Knocks Out DUI Records in South Carolina

Hearings in drunken driving cases are being postponed as the State Law Enforcement Division works to restore a computer server containing 22 years’ worth of evidence.

SLED spokesman Thom Berry said the database of suspects’ Breathalyzer tests has been down since July 5 and won’t be back online until next month.

Meanwhile, neither prosecutors nor defense attorneys can access hundreds of thousands of test results and videotapes.

Berry said officials suspect lightning hit a transformer, causing an electronic device in SLED’s generator system to fail. Other SLED servers were back online after a couple of hours.

Berry insists none of the data has been lost.

An assistant solicitor for York and Union counties called it not terribly inconvenient, with fewer than 20 cases in his circuit being pushed back.