‘We are going to end it’: Tybee Island mayor wants to see college event, Orange Crush come to an end

WSBTV.com News Staff
·2 min read
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Tybee Island Mayor Brian West said during a recent city council meeting that he hopes to see Orange Crush come to an end.

According to WTOC, officials said they spent about $180,000 to bring law enforcement in the weekend of Orange Crush last year. Over that one weekend in 2023, leaders estimated 40,0000 to 50,000 people flocked to Tybee’s beaches.

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“It turned out to be a much bigger event than we expected last year, and it also turned out to be a different group of people than we were expecting. It wasn’t the typical college spring break students that we normally get. It was groups from further out of town and so it was really bad for the community,” Mayor West said.

The mayor said in the meeting that he wants to see Orange Crush leave the Tybee Island area.

“They ended it in Buckhead when it was going on there, they ended it in Myrtle Beach, they’re ending it in Miami. We’re going to end it too. This is the reputation of our community; we are a place for families to come and have a good time and get away from their work environments and relax,” Mayor West said.

The mayor also stated that because so many people came to the event last year, it caused major traffic issues and caused a public safety risk for the residents of Tybee Island.

“The big problem for us is it’s one way in, one way out. We have a two-lane road, there’s no emergency lanes,” he said. “So, there’s a public safety risk for our residents that may need to get off the island for medical help and we’re not going to tolerate the road being clogged up and us not being able to get them off the island.”

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Last year, Georgia lawmakers said they were overwhelmed by multiple car crashes and a shooting on Highway 80 as thousands made their way to Orange Crush on Tybee Island.

Some time during the event, a mother and daughter, who haven’t been identified, were beaten and robbed on the beach by a large group of people. A video captured the assault, prompting police to take to social media for help in identifying everyone involved.

According to police, 22-year-old Jasmine Murphey shared videos of the beating on social media and implicated herself as a suspect. She said she was “leaving her footprint on Tybee Island.”

Murphey’s post has been shared over 6,000 times.

College Park police located Murphey at her job, arrested and charged her with aggravated assault and robbery.

Authorities have not said if anyone else was arrested in connection to the beating.

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