Woman charged in fatal Irmo drunk driving had history of speeding, driving violations

The woman accused in the fatal drunk driving crash that killed Jennifer Wingate, a beloved high school band director and soccer coach, had previously been charged with nearly 20 incidents of speeding, reckless driving and driving with a suspended license.

Wingate was struck and killed on the 1300 block of Lake Murray Boulevard near Kroger in Irmo around 10:20 p.m. Thursday. At the time, Wingate, 34, was driving in the westbound lane when she was struck from behind by another vehicle, according to the Lexington County Coroner’s Office. She was taken to an area hospital where she was later pronounced dead due to her injuries.

Chelsie Pittman, 31, was arrested following the crash. “After conducting multiple witness interviews and reviewing surveillance footage from nearby businesses, Pittman was determined to be at fault for the collision,” wrote Lt. Andrea Grinstead with the Irmo Police Department.

Pittman has been charged with felony driving under the influence, resulting in death; habitual offender causing death when license has been canceled, suspended, or revoked; and driving under suspension, 3rd or subsequent offense.

In South Carolina, driving under the influence leading to death is punishable by a mandatory fine of up to $52,244.50 and imprisonment from one to 25 years. As a habitual offender, Pittman could also be fined up to $10,000 and imprisoned for up to 20 years.

“DUI is not a victimless crime”, Irmo Police Chief Bobby Dale said. “Unfortunately, someone has lost their life because of Pittman’s senseless actions.”

The State found 17 previous charges across Lexington, Richland, Lancaster and York counties, amounting to thousands of dollars in fines but no jail time. Pittman also previously pleaded guilty to a drunk driving charge in North Carolina in 2011, court records show.

Most recently, on Dec. 28, 2023, Pittman was arrested in Lexington County. The next day she was charged with reckless driving and driving under a suspended license, third or subsequent offense.

On Jan. 3 of this year, she was charged as a habitual offender in Lexington County General Sessions Court following her Dec. 28, 2023, arrest.

Charges against Pittman for dangerous driving go as far back as 2010. That December, she was charged in York County with driving 10 miles or less over the speed limit.

The next April, the Pineville Police Department in Mecklenberg County, North Carolina, charged Pittman with speeding and driving while intoxicated. Court records indicate the Pittman was going 54 mph in a 35 zone. Officers recorded the results of her breath test as 0.12. The legal limit in North Carolina is 0.08.

Pittman, who was 19 at the time, was also charged with driving after consuming alcohol while under the age of 21.

That August, Pittman pleaded guilty to driving while impaired. She was sentenced to 60 days in jail and 24 hours of community service. The charges for speeding and underage consumption were dismissed.

Pittman racked up nine driving and traffic charges in 2018 alone. Between April and July, Pittman was charged on three separate occasions for driving offenses in York County. On April 3, she was stopped and later found guilty in a bench trial at the Fort Mill Magistrate’s Court of a first offense of driving with a suspended license. Court records indicate that the license was not suspended for a DUI conviction. She was ordered to pay a fine of $647.50.

Eight days after being convicted on that charge, Pittman was stopped on May 11 and charged again for a first offense of driving under suspension, as well as for operating a vehicle on highway without registration and license due to delinquency, and failure to return driver’s license after notice of suspension, cancellation or revocation. She was found guilty at a bench trial and fined a total of $1,040 for all three charges.

On July 1, she was stopped and charged with driving on the wrong side of the road with a suspended license. Pittman was found guilty at another bench trial that August. She was fined $387.50.

During that same time period, in June, Pittman was charged in Lancaster County with driving 10 miles per hour or less over the speed limit and driving with a suspended license. She was found guilty at a bench trial that August and fined $724.

That December, Pittman was arrested in Richland County and charged with driving 25 miles per hour over the speed limit and for driving with a suspended license. However, that charge was dismissed as not indicted in October 2020, according to court records.

Pittman herself was once the victim in a car accident. On Sept. 30, 2011, Pittman was the passenger in a car being driven at a “reckless rate of speed,” according to a lawsuit she filed in Lancaster County Court. The driver ran off the road, crashed into a drain culvert and flipped the vehicle.

Pittman hit her head and was knocked unconscious in the crash. In 2012, Pittman filed a lawsuit against both the owner of the car and the driver. The case was ultimately settled, according to court records.

While bond was set at $2,170 for driving under a suspended license and $50,000 for being a habitual offender, Pittman was denied denied bond on her DUI charge, according to records from the Lexington County Detention Center. Meaning she will remain at the jail.

On Facebook, Pittman lists her place of employment at Nobel Family Dentistry in Columbia.

“With the availability of ride share applications, taxi services and even calling a friend, there is absolutely no excuse to get behind the wheel impaired,” Dale said.

Who was Jennifer Wingate?

Jennifer Wingate, 34, who died of injuries she sustained in the crash, was the soccer coach and band director at Saluda High School in Lexington County.

“Our Saluda High School and Saluda County Schools community are saddened by the sudden and tragic loss,” administrators wrote on Facebook Friday. “Ms. Wingate’s contributions to our school and community were invaluable. Our deepest condolences go out to her family and to those students and parents she taught, coached and collaborated with each day.”

Online there has been an outpouring of support and mourning since Wingate’s death.

Commenters on the high school’s Facebook post remembered her as a “sweet spirit” who was devoted to her students.

“We had the privilege of Jennifer being our son’s band director in Florida for several years. She was a beautiful person and our family is lucky to have known her,” wrote one Facebook poster.

“So thankful for the countless hours she selflessly poured into our son and his classmates. There will never be another Ms Wingate,” wrote another.

“Because of Pittman’s poor decision, we have two families whose lives are changed forever,” said Chief Dale.