Father of man killed outside Skinful Halloween party files suit

Matthew Reid Fisher and Beau Froehlich were strangers at the Skinful Halloween party on James Island last year.

Within less than a year’s time, both were dead. Now, Froehlich’s father, Kenneth Froehlich, is seeking accountability and damages following his son’s death.

Fisher, 31, slammed his car into the younger Froehlich, 25, fatally injuring him, outside the party on Oct. 23, authorities said.

Nearly seven months later, Fisher died after he was hit by a car while riding his bike May 10.

“Obviously it’s been a tragedy for multiple people,” Froehlich’s attorney Jody McKnight said.

Froehlich filed suit against Fisher’s estate and the organizer of the Skinful event, Brian King, for their involvement in his son’s death. King did not answer a request for comment and the Fisher family could not be reached.

Kenneth Froehlich spent days in hopes that his son would survive after he was hit by the car authorities said was driven by Fisher. Beau Froehlich had been inside the Skinful party with his friends on the property of the Brick House Kitchen Restaurant on Folly Road.

Around 3 a.m. after “a night of alcohol consumption, marijuana smoking, and revelry” at the party, Fisher, who was leaving, took a shuttle provided by the party back to his car, the suit’s complaint documents state.

Meanwhile, Froehlich and his friends were leaving the party. He crossed the southbound lanes of Folly Road and was standing on the double yellow line and the northbound turning lane when Fisher hit him with his car, the suit claims.

Froehlich was launched 84 feet on the roadway, according to the suit’s complaint documents. He died a few days later from broken bones and massive head injuries, authorities said.

Fisher was awaiting trial and facing a felony drunk driving charge for the crash when he was killed riding his bike on Folly Road.

“We feel we have enough facts from our investigation at this point to know basically what he was doing at the party and how he drove after the party, which resulted in the death of Beau Froehlich,” McKnight said.

Fisher was served alcohol while he was intoxicated and was served “to the point he was too intoxicated to drive,” the complaint states, also claiming the party’s management allowed him to smoke marijuana during the event.

Fisher should not have been allowed to leave the party at his level of intoxication, according to the suit.

“There were obviously multiple problems with the party that we have addressed specifically in our complaint,” McKnight said.

The event, which has featured music performances and circus acts, attracted 2,500 people last year, the complaint states. It created a traffic hazard and lacked adequate staff to manage pedestrians and traffic near the exit, Froehlich claims in the suit.

The father’s disdain for the event was apparent following the crash that first put his son in a coma before his death. He previously called the party a “sanctioned rave” set in the “darkest corner of Folly Road.”

Following the wreck, organizers pointed to the heavy security hired for the event and other precautions, including four free shuttles for the party goers and an explicit warning on Skinful’s website not to walk along the road.

Despite that, Froehlich’s father vowed to stop the party from happening again, telling a magistrate judge during Fisher’s bond hearing that “there are two victims in this, my son and Mr. Matthew.”

The party is still scheduled this year for Oct. 27, according to its website.

Reach Natalie Caula at 937-5594 or Twitter.com/ncaula.