By FITSNews || Columbia S.C. Mayor-elect Steve Benjamin is said to have consumed multiple liquor drinks well into the early morning hours following his historic electoral victory a week ago – drinks that were consumed just hours before he was involved in a horrific car crash that has left a Columbia woman fighting for her life.
“(Benjamin) was served several Grey Goose and tonics,” says a source at the bar where the Mayor-elect went to celebrate following his victory party at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. “There were a lot of people wanting to buy him drinks.”
Asked to put a number on how many vodka tonics Benjamin consumed, two sources at the bar – the Liberty Taproom in downtown Columbia, S.C. – declined to speculate on an exact number but agreed that they had watched the Mayor-elect consume at least four of the liquor drinks.
Benjamin is said to have left the Liberty Taproom at approximately 2:00 a.m. – roughly three hours and forty minutes prior to the accident. Assuming Benjamin indeed consumed only four liquor drinks, the elapsed time between him leaving the bar and when the accident took place is roughly equivalent to the time it would take for the alcohol to have left his system under normal circumstances.
It would certainly be cutting it close, though.
Anyway, it is at this point on this fateful evening that Benjamin’s itinerary becomes the subject of considerable disagreement – even among those who claim to have been with him for the duration of the night.
Previously, Benjamin supporters had told FITS that the victorious candidate “may have had one celebratory drink but that was about it.” Also, that “one celebratory drink” was said to have occurred at Benjamin’s victory party, not at a local bar. In fact, this information was among the various initial tidbits of information that we reported on shortly after the crash.
Now, sources close to Benjamin are telling FITS that the Mayor-elect indeed left Liberty Taproom at around 2:00 a.m., but that he headed from there directly to his hotel room at the Hilton Columbia Center hotel. Other sources, however, dispute that contention and claim that Benjamin led a group of friends to another nearby hotel, the Downtown Columbia Sheraton. They say that Benjamin did not return to his room at the Hilton until 5:00 a.m. – less than an hour before the accident.
Either way, at 5:40 a.m. on April 21, 2010 – less than ten hours after his historic win – Benjamin was driving his wife’s Mercedes SUV when the car slammed into a Toyota Tercel in downtown Columbia, critically injuring Deborah Rubens, a popular server at the local Clarion Town House hotel. The accident is still under investigation, and both The State newspaper and The Free Times ran stories Wednesday updating readers on Ruben’s condition and the fact that no new information has been released by the police in nearly a week.
Rubens, incidentally, is in a coma and has not regained consciousness since the accident. She is in critical condition with brain damage, a shattered pelvis and numerous broken bones. Doctors have told her family members that she will never walk again, assuming she survives.
Several sources close to Benjamin tell FITS they are confident that the Mayor-elect will be vindicated both with regard to the accident and his conduct in the hours leading up to it.
“Steve does not drink to excess, he did not drink to excess on the night of this tragic accident and when the investigation into this matter is concluded he will be completely exonerated of any fault,” one of the Mayor-elect’s supporters told us. “Any story or source suggesting otherwise will be proven false – definitively.”
Benjamin’s allies maintain precisely what we reported the day after the accident – that Benjamin was not drinking in excess. They also tell us that “alcohol played no role in the crash, at least as far as (Benjamin) was concerned.”
The Columbia Police Department initially determined that Benjamin was not impaired at the time of the accident. That assessment was confirmed roughly two hours later by the S.C. Department of Public Safety, although Benjamin was never given a field sobriety test nor was blood drawn from him for analysis.
In Benjamin’s defense, we have hung out with him socially on several occasions and have never seen – nor even really heard of – him drinking to excess.
However, in addition to sources who witnessed him drinking at the Liberty Taproom, perception here is also critically important. For example, a Facebook page celebrating Benjamin’s victory was making the rounds on Wednesday that included a picture of the Mayor-elect drinking an unknown liquid from a plastic cup shortly after his win. The tag on the photo read: “The spoils of victory.”
Sources close to Benjamin tell FITS that the was drinking a cup of ice water in the picture and that the tag applied to it was “a joke.”
Obviously, this story is ongoing. We have no idea where it will lead but we will continue bringing you first-hand accounts from all sides of the story as credible information is related to us.
By Doris April 28, 2010 at 9:05 pm
Steve needs him a Betsy Gray at whatever law firm that was. Remember when Betsy Gray said in The State that Jean Toal was sober as a judge when she left that party and hit Margaret Cain’s car? So how does much money does Betsy make a year defending lawyers and judges in Chief Justice Toal’s court these days? Oh, yeah, Steve. Get yourself a Betsy.
By 803andy April 28, 2010 at 9:22 pm
It doesn’t make sense for him to stay up late and drink excessively if he was scheduled to do several televised interviews in the wee hours of the next day.
By Lenny April 28, 2010 at 9:24 pm
hmmm…
By Mike April 28, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Check your sources again. He took a double to go when he left Liberty according to a friend who is employed there.
Let’s hope investigators follow-up.
By fitsnews April 28, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Mike-
We published all the info that we were able to independently verify. There will no doubt be more coming as people – including us – delve into this further.
-FITS
By EM April 28, 2010 at 9:59 pm
Thank you for covering the story. Please let us know how Ms Rubens is doing and if anyone is taking care of the business of her life (paying her mortgage/rent, SCEG, pet, water bill etc). Is her son still in town, is anyone speaking for her?
One more question I have, how long does this type of investigation take? When should we know what was on the black box in Benjamin’s car, the film of the car, witnesses etc.
By Susan Gregors April 28, 2010 at 11:05 pm
This article is a complete LIE and only spreads RUMORS of what PEOPLE have HEARD to have happened! So this article should NOT have even been written.
By slinky April 28, 2010 at 11:14 pm
Why haven’t the 911 tapes been released? I mean, really, how long does it take, folks? They should be released NOW.
By R April 28, 2010 at 11:17 pm
It’s all OK. Benjamin is black so he can do whatever he wants and his supporters will forgive him and make excuses for him till hell freezes over. If this were Finlay he’d be in jail already but since it’s Benjamin it would be racist to hold him accountable.
By billybob April 28, 2010 at 11:18 pm
Who was drinking with Steve Benjamin. I heard it was Rick Quinn Jr. Why won’t Quinn tell us how many drinks Steve had that night?
By 803andy April 29, 2010 at 1:09 am
@R What are you smoking?
This country has a history of unfairly mistreating white males…… hmmmmmm OK…………….
By Calhoun Fawls April 29, 2010 at 2:11 am
Sorry, FITS, this is a reach. You are swinging at the bad pitches.
By JAF April 29, 2010 at 8:14 am
He will pead the Jean Toal syndrom.
By Doris April 29, 2010 at 8:28 am
Quinn can be Steve’s Betsy Gray? Why hasn’t he? Hmmmm
By Crash April 29, 2010 at 9:06 am
Is Benjamin wearing one of the pyramid scheme Rob DeBoer’s bracelets in that picture?
By You Can Call Me Ma'am April 29, 2010 at 9:20 am
Review of the Hilton and Sheraton surveillance videos will show when he entered and exited the building that evening, as well as who may have been with him. Many hotels now have surveillance cams in the halls, so if the Hilton has those it will show when he entered and exited his room. Very important evidence, if it (still) exists.
By Cooter Brown April 29, 2010 at 9:23 am
Ut-oh! Trouble in para-dice!
By Male Sapphist April 29, 2010 at 9:36 am
That photo is really damning. If you are an elected official try not to have a picture taken with a glass in your hand. This is going to be a nightmare.
By Tommy April 29, 2010 at 10:26 am
Maybe he was partying at the Sheraton with his former bootycall USC Trustee Leah Moody…
By sid April 29, 2010 at 10:37 am
The electronic door lock at the Hilton should tell you when his room was accessed. It can’t tell you who accessed it, but if nobody did between the time of Benjamin leaving Liberty until the alleged 5AM claim, that would at least indicate Benjamin was somewhere else.
By Another Opinion April 29, 2010 at 11:25 am
it’s not so much that he’s drinking it looks like it’s running down his face. who wants a sloppy drunk in office? or maybe it’s just water.
By Caty April 29, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Steve Benjamin is a very intelligent man. I am sure tons of people tried to buy him drinks that night after his well-deserved victory. However, he could have very easily poured part of the drink out when no one was looking, he could have had glass of soda water with lime in his other hand, or he could have even spit out the drink after taking a gulp. Plus, alcohol leaves everyone’s system differently. A person’s weight, metabolism and tolerance can make a difference. Plus, you have to take into account how well-hydrated the person is and how much they’ve eaten before or after.
I really, really feel sorry for the lady who was hurt. However, I think we should be fair, allow law enforcement to do their job, and wait until we have all of the facts before we make any judgments on Mr. Benjamin.
By vicupstate April 29, 2010 at 1:35 pm
“R” if you think that Kirk Finlay, who has more money than God, would have been put in jail if he were in the same situation, you are incredibly naive.
By Sean April 29, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Wow, by the amount of sloppy dribblets running down his suit, it looks like the Mayor-Elect is really enjoying that “water”. If I ever saw a glass of H20 that cloudy, I probably would’ve taken a step back from the fountain.
By Liberty For Me April 29, 2010 at 2:16 pm
I don’t think it takes a brain surgeon to figure this out….Where is the blood test? If it is positive,he should have a very short political career.Or is having an affair a more serious offense to citizens than pretty much ending someone’s life because you are irresponsible?Lets see how this racism card works.
By Checking in April 29, 2010 at 2:28 pm
REUBENS UPDATE
http://www.thestate.com/2010/04/29/1264512/reubens-condition-improves.html
It also shows the desperate need for health care reform. Here is a woman who has worked for the same people for 10 years and doesn’t even have access to health insurance through her employer. Sure she could get a $500 a month private policy, but I doubt she has those resources, but probably makes to much to qualify for Medicaid. Shame on the Clarion and it’s owners for not at least offering health insurance to purchase, especially for a dedicated employee.
By im cocky April 29, 2010 at 2:53 pm
this picture means nothing. Who knows what it is, or how many he had? So what. And you can clearly see the guy bumping his arm – probably causing the drink to spill.
It will be interesting to see the video/ room key evidence as to what time he got home though. If the 5am theory is true he potentially never went to bed! that’s as dangerous for a driver as drinking!!
By Joey April 29, 2010 at 3:02 pm
Sean, that’s the best comment yet! You can get cleaner “water” out of the Congaree River just downstream of the wastewater treatment plant!
Things aren’t looking good for Benjamin. There have been reports he didn’t have his headlights on, reports that he only had a couple of hours of sleep (Can that lead to a driving while impaired charge? Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can impair someone as much as alcohol consumption.), and now this? Things would be a lot better for him (and everyone else, too) if CPD had turned the whole thing over to SCHP.
By TMZ Cola April 29, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Sic, you should check with the private chef who was called in to cook for the gang in the very early hours of the morning…. I’m sure he can confirm what time Benjamin actually left the Sheraton!
By mosquito buzzing April 29, 2010 at 4:05 pm
Just curious as to why the sources close to Benjamin can be so sure that “when the investigation into this matter is concluded he will be completely exonerated of any fault.”
There are any number of possibilities of complete or shared fault in regards to the accident. Sounds a bit premature to be so reassured that the story will end up being so squeaky clean. Why would this be proclaimed at this point?
By really???? April 29, 2010 at 5:41 pm
to caty, where exactly is he spitting those drinks out? on the floor? give me a break.
to checking in, she is getting health care right???? Probably pretty good too.
and to Susan, did you even read the article? where did he state that any of these were facts? Unless no one said any of these things to FITS then it is not a lie. just reporting what was stated by others. Here is an example of the difference:
“The empire state building is 20 miles high.” LIE
“Several sources have told me that the empire state building is 20 miles high, however the investigation is still ongoing.” NOT A LIE
By really???? April 29, 2010 at 5:44 pm
and I dont think the “water” is “cloudy”. It looks like there may just be condensation on the cup from the difference in temperature. If you look at the portion of the cup that is not touching the liquid it looks “cloudy” as well. The very top of the cup does not however, leading me to think that the cup is just sweating.
By unconcernedcitizen April 29, 2010 at 6:31 pm
Maybe someone should also look into the contractor and subcontractors who worked on the mayor’s home in Woodcreek Farms. It’s considered inside city limits and permits and business licenses are required….. start with the landscaper.You never know.
By Northerner April 29, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Is that water or liquor in the photo? Let’s talk facts and not hearsay?? Ms Reubens is in my thoughts and prayers. Is it possible Ms. Reubens could have suddendly pulled out and Mayor Benjamin had no time to avoid hitting her car? Let’s wait until the facts come out before we react and speculate.. But the media feeds on hearsay, reaction, speculation and unsubstantiated facts.. Right????
By James the Foot Soldier April 29, 2010 at 7:08 pm
The cover-up has more holes than the windshield of the car his wife’s Mercedes t-boned…..
By No Way! April 29, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Alcohol + Driving = Bad Outcomes
The mayor should resign the post now. This sends a poor example to all youth (black and white) across the state. Here a lady is in critical condition in the hospital. Even the suggestion that alcohol is involved should lead to his stepping down!
By newzjunkie April 29, 2010 at 10:59 pm
@Northern: You are on the money… When looking at the photos of the accident, it doesn’t take much to know she pulled out in front of Benjamin’s car. The question is whether his lights were on or he ran a red – which is common is SC. Now, having a newer model Mercedes, one would assume the car comes with running day lights – which canNOT manually be turned off. So for all the haters out there, that color isn’t becoming of you. Chill and let law enforcement do their job.
Accidents happen every day. In fact, there was a deadly car accident that SAME morning… have you reported on that accident?
This isn’t a white or black, rich or poor, water or vodka issue. One thing about the truth – sooner or later it will all come out and reveal itself.
By Crackhead Joe April 30, 2010 at 12:35 am
one fact is that picture is not liberty taproom
By Mateo April 30, 2010 at 9:17 am
He was up all night, he was drinking, witnesses say his headlights were off, and he was late for his interview at WLTX, yet so many people still want to believe that it was the dutiful, dependable, hard-working victim’s fault. Anybody ever hear of Achem’s Razor?
By DAVID April 30, 2010 at 10:39 am
Where was Mrs. Benjamin during all these after election celebrations? I hope she will not be too hard on poor Bennie for screwingup his reputation.
By sid April 30, 2010 at 11:31 am
True, it doesn’t look like Liberty’s bar, and I’ve never been served a drink there in a plastic cup (not that that means they don’t have them). Then again, I don’t think anyone has said that photo was taken at Liberty.
If the photo was truly from victory night, perhaps it was taken at the Convention Center. I don’t know what their bars look like.
By dj April 30, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Either way this stinks. I am glad someone is covering the lack of the “alcohol side” to this whole story. I for one, believe that alcohol played a BIG role. You just don’t get into an accident like that in the early hours downtown when everything is closed and there is barely any traffic. He draaank. I would too given the circumstances. But come on. The cops screwed this pooch by not giving Benjamin a field sobriety test and ol’ Ben will be free. Nevertheless, In my opinion, his actions ruined someones life and he will forever be tainted. But I do love how everyone nitpicks how much he drank and how much it really doesn’t matter. And I do love how everyone is defending Benjamin’s actions yet say little to the real victim. Please…
By unmistaken individual April 30, 2010 at 8:22 pm
@newzjunkie
You are mistaken about daytime running lights. On high end cars like Mercedes and BMW, they can be configured to the owner’s liking. When I use my key to open my BMW, no daytime running lights. When my wife uses her key, they are activated. Simply scanning the module in his vehicle, or possibly even the chip in his key fob, will show how his daytime lamps were configured. His black box will also show whether his headlamps were on, and his speed for the six seconds or so prior to the accident. Should be very interesting once that information is made available…
By Ben May 2, 2010 at 9:23 am
I cant believe people STILL make excuses for drunks out driving and killing innocent people just trying to go to work .
I dont care who he is drinking and driving shouldnt be tolerated no matter the if he drinks in EXCESS or not ..
By SnakeMD May 3, 2010 at 6:59 pm
Tandy Carter should resign. He is buying time. Benjamin should have demanded a sobriety test at the scene, just to prove his innocence. And the Cola Police Dept as well as others should have administered one, too. The whole incident is one big coverup. Carter is covering for his future boss. All one has to do is see how Carter promotes within his department–not what you know, or how you qualify at the range, but cronyism at its best. The results of this accident could have been determined in a week or so. One drink impairs your ability to drive, if you don’t believe it then you drink and drive. Hell, I can barely type after downing just one Jim Beam. Keep up the pressure FITS, no one else will.