Found Deceased SC - Tommy Brailey, 52, Sumter, 25 Aug 2017

[VaYank5150]

I know route is a stretch, but typically when someone accidentally goes into the water, you are looking for ease of access. This route would have taken Mr. Brailey the longest amount of time to get home, but it also offers a retaining pond on an exit ramp where higher than normal speeds or impaired driving could have led him to veer into the pond. Just a thought.

 

[Rush4087]

My apologies. Apparently I’d come across a previous address (jmo). Using an address in Lynchburg, my guess is that (assuming TLB was headed home) he would’ve taken Hwy 76 (Florence Hwy) from E. Sumter toward/through Mayesville toward/through Atkins to Lynchburg (Magnolia St - which I now think is a correct address, but jmo).

Imo (and from personal experience), it takes a few miles of straightaway at speed before one nods off. If this is what happened - and if it happened on a straightaway - I think TLB’s car would have been discovered by now.

So, if a single car accident occurred, I think there had to have been enough of a curve (still at speed) for the car to have travelled far enough off the hwy that it could not be easily seen. From google earth, there are no lakes that I can find along Florence Hwy, but there are several stretches of heavily wooded areas where there are no houses.

The first curve going N on Hwy 76 is approaching and just past Linran Lane. Imo this is an unlikely location as not enough time to have nodded off. The next curve, while not sharp, is at Rocky Bluff Swamp (on the left). This one I think is higher probably.

The one after that (just past Beulah Church) I think is lower probably as it is close to the church.

The next significant curve is one that I think, like the one at the swamp, has higher probability: it is on the left side of Hwy 76 just after you cross 46 (Bell Road).

Two final possibilities (less likely though as the curves are not sharp, and they occur too far along the route - if TLB nodded off I think it would’ve happened earlier): on the right side of road in Mayesville just past Avenue A, and then again on the right as you approach Lynchburg.

I don’t know that a single vehicle accident occurred, but I think it is certainly a possibility. I hope TLB can be found soon for his family.

All jmo

 

[VaYank5150]

My apologies. Apparently I’d come across a previous address (jmo). Using an address in Lynchburg, my guess is that (assuming TLB was headed home) he would’ve taken Hwy 76 (Florence Hwy) from E. Sumter toward/through Mayesville toward/through Atkins to Lynchburg (Magnolia St - which I now think is a correct address, but jmo).

Imo (and from personal experience), it takes a few miles of straightaway at speed before one nods off. If this is what happened - and if it happened on a straightaway - I think TLB’s car would have been discovered by now.

So, if a single car accident occurred, I think there had to have been enough of a curve (still at speed) for the car to have travelled far enough off the hwy that it could not be easily seen. From google earth, there are no lakes that I can find along Florence Hwy, but there are several stretches of heavily wooded areas where there are no houses.

The first curve going N on Hwy 76 is approaching and just past Linran Lane. Imo this is an unlikely location as not enough time to have nodded off. The next curve, while not sharp, is at Rocky Bluff Swamp (on the left). This one I think is higher probably.

The one after that (just past Beulah Church) I think is lower probably as it is close to the church.

The next significant curve is one that I think, like the one at the swamp, has higher probability: it is on the left side of Hwy 76 just after you cross 46 (Bell Road).

Two final possibilities (less likely though as the curves are not sharp, and they occur too far along the route - if TLB nodded off I think it would’ve happened earlier): on the right side of road in Mayesville just past Avenue A, and then again on the right as you approach Lynchburg.

I don’t know that a single vehicle accident occurred, but I think it is certainly a possibility. I hope TLB can be found soon for his family.

All jmo

Rush, this is excellent intel and I thank you. I also encourage anyone else who may have a theory to please chime in. I agree that there are far more opportunities for Mr. Brailey to have had an accident and ended up in the woods. However, when the SPD reached out to me yesterday, they gave me all of the most likely routes for him to have traveled back to Lynchburg and if you go to the FB page, you can find posts from the SPD stating they searched on land, air and water along those routes.

The information available stated that CCTV captured Mr. Brailey's car leaving the parking lot and I have asked SPD to please confirm whether he turned right or left onto E Wesmark Blvd. I am hoping they can confirm to at least get that ? out of my brain.

Even though I agree with you that crashing into the woods seems much more likely, I have shared this case with both Chaos Divers and AWP. AWP has been kind enough to search on two previous cases I have sent them and Chaos was with them on one of those. I have no idea where they are now or how many things they have on their plates, but I figured it couldn't hurt.

 

[VaYank5150]

I just want to throw this out there. Speaking from personal (younger days) experience, if I were leaving a bar at 2AM and knew that I should not be driving, I would NOT be taking the interstate for fear of police. Backroads, while a longer drive would be more applicable to that situation, IMHO.

 

[Rush4087]

I just want to throw this out there. Speaking from personal (younger days) experience, if I were leaving a bar at 2AM and knew that I should not be driving, I would NOT be taking the interstate for fear of police. Backroads, while a longer drive would be more applicable to that situation, IMHO.

I guess everybody’s different. It didn’t stop me 44 years ago from getting on the interstate, falling asleep while going maybe 70 mph, and ending up several hundred feet deep in a forest of pines trees. I was lucky to survive. Just glad I didn’t hurt somebody.

 

[VaYank5150]

@Rush4087 , I got a response back from Jared with AWP. Like you, he does not believe this to be a water involved accident. In fact, exactly like you, he believes (ASSUMING it was an accident) the car probably ran off the road into a wooded area. With this in mind, I am sort of at a loss as to how anyone moves forward with this case from here. Any thoughts?

 

[Rush4087]

@Rush4087 , I got a response back from Jared with AWP. Like you, he does not believe this to be a water involved accident. In fact, exactly like you, he believes (ASSUMING it was an accident) the car probably ran off the road into a wooded area. With this in mind, I am sort of at a loss as to how anyone moves forward with this case from here. Any thoughts?

I think searching the “higher probability areas” again (tangents coming off of curves) would be the best bet. Especially those areas that were heavily wooded or had lots of tall grass and/or thick green foliage at the time of the initial searches (guessing late August, September, and/or October).

For this reason though, I think it would perhaps make the most sense to wait until winter - when there is less foliage, tall grass and other cover.

I think it would probably take a significant search effort, as I’m guessing there might be a mile or more of cumulative “higher probability areas” to search. Also, some swamp (and other) areas might be difficult to access - and I’m sure some of it is private property. But who knows, at the right time of year it might be easier to spot the scene of an accident than you think.

All jmo

 

[VaYank5150]

I think searching the “higher probability areas” again (tangents coming off of curves) would be the best bet. Especially those areas that were heavily wooded or had lots of tall grass and/or thick green foliage at the time of the initial searches (guessing late August, September, and/or October).

For this reason though, I think it would perhaps make the most sense to wait until winter - when there is less foliage, tall grass and other cover.

I think it would probably take a significant search effort, as I’m guessing there might be a mile or more of cumulative “higher probability areas” to search. Also, some swamp (and other) areas might be difficult to access - and I’m sure some of it is private property. But who knows, at the right time of year it might be easier to spot the scene of an accident than you think.

All jmo

SPD has not reached out since there initial contact with me. Since I shared this link to the FB page, I am hopeful that they are now monitoring it and can make arrangements to attempt to find Mr. Brailey.

 

[renaebri]

6 years now. Adam brown adventures has searched a few water ways.

County map is here: https://qpublic.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx?App=SumterCountySC&PageType=Map
But doesn't offer any greater detail than google maps or any birds eye views unfortunately.

One thing I noted when first looking into this is that the bridge on 81 over Mulberry branch was being worked on in September 2017 ( 33°57'45.79"N 80°18'51.64"W) not sure if thats significant though.

 

[VaYank5150]

I think searching the “higher probability areas” again (tangents coming off of curves) would be the best bet. Especially those areas that were heavily wooded or had lots of tall grass and/or thick green foliage at the time of the initial searches (guessing late August, September, and/or October).

For this reason though, I think it would perhaps make the most sense to wait until winter - when there is less foliage, tall grass and other cover.

I think it would probably take a significant search effort, as I’m guessing there might be a mile or more of cumulative “higher probability areas” to search. Also, some swamp (and other) areas might be difficult to access - and I’m sure some of it is private property. But who knows, at the right time of year it might be easier to spot the scene of an accident than you think.

All jmo

Well, here we are at that time of year. Has anyone heard if SPD has done anything?

 

[renaebri]

I'm not sure how accurate those sites are to check license plate numbers, but they all seem to come back with a different vehicle than he was driving for that license plate, a 2008 Chevrolet HHR.
Could be wrong, could be a previous vehicle I guess, or a number/letter off on the license plate? If anyone knows better please chime in!

 

[Souhradaj360]

I’m working on it Monday 12/16. 1 spot has my attention. I hope to have answers for the family before Christmas.

 

[VaYank5150]

I’m working on it Monday 12/16. 1 spot has my attention. I hope to have answers for the family before Christmas.

Water or land?

 

[VaYank5150]

Bump

 

[VaYank5150]

Decades-old cold case solved after Myrtle Beach man finds car in NC creek

 

[Souhradaj360]

Well I cleared a couple more spots. He’s Definitely not in any of the water along his path home that night and if he is, he’s been covered by debris from several major hurricanes that flooded the area over the past 7 years. I even extended my search past Elliot, SC which is where I’m told by family he was supposed to be going.

 

[VaYank5150]

Log into Facebook

 

[VaYank5150]

Log into Facebook

I am sorry for not posting this properly. Adam Brown Adventures and Jason Souhrada located a submerged vehicle with human remains inside in Sumter, S.C. No confirmation of the remains, but I have a hunch they found Tommy.

 

[Souhradaj360]

I am sorry for not posting this properly. Adam Brown Adventures and Jason Souhrada located a submerged vehicle with human remains inside in Sumter, S.C. No confirmation of the remains, but I have a hunch they found Tommy.

Still have to wait for “official” results, but everything including drivers license and clothing he was wearing that night say it’s him.

 

[Caring1]

Autopsy pending.

January 1, 2025

SUMTER, S.C. (WIS) - A Sumter woman believes human remains found Tuesday morning belong to her brother who’s been missing for seven years.

Human remains were found inside a silver BMW submerged 10 feet deep in swamp water off Highway 401 near Crestwood High School.

Sumter family says human remains found in swamp belong to man reported missing in 2017

A Sumter woman believes human remains found Tuesday morning belong to her brother who’s been missing for seven years.

www.wistv.com