Driver Charged with DUI After Hitting Church Bus Head-On

Joel Ajqui Cristobal

A DUI driver hit a church bus head-on, injuring at least 18 people, the South Carolina Highway Patrol said Monday. The driver, Joel Ajqui Cristobal will face three felony DUI charges when he leaves the hospital, Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway said. The crash happened Sunday night on Old Williamston Road. The bus had 19 people from the Labor of the Field church. One person is still in the ICU. The others have broken bones, brain bleed and broken vertebrae. Cristobal is still in the hospital and will be taken to jail when he is discharged. The church issued this statement on Monday: “We think it’s ironic that our bus was hit by a drunk driver. We forgive him and hope he gets help.” Cristobal was booked into the Anderson County Detention Center on Wednesday, August 16, after being released from the hospital. His first court appearance is set for Thursday morning, August 17.