Man sentenced for the 2016 hit-and-run death of a Hilton Head doctor

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (WTOC) - A man has been sentenced for the 2016 hit-and-run death of a Hilton Head doctor who was hit while riding a bicycle.

64-year-old Richard Alford has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the death of 66-year-old Jeff Garske. Garske was a doctor, avid cyclist, and a survivor of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

Deputies say when they found Alford after the crash, his blood alcohol level was .14, well above the legal limit. He was charged with felony driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in a death. He later bonded out.

A month later Alford was arrested again for DUI.

On Sept. 30, 2019, Alford pleaded guilty to all three charges in an unnegotiated plea. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

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