Tybee Island was packed with thousands for Orange Crush’s return to the beach.
The City of Tybee officials estimate 11,555 cars and 40 to 50 thousand people visited the island this weekend.

Each year Orange Crush attracts thousands from different communities to come together to socialize and enjoy the three-day beach event offering parties, tailgating, music and drinks.

“Overall was a great time. People were able to meet each other and just relax and take a break from schoolwork and everything,” Renee Clark, a resident advisor at Georgia Southern, said.

“I feel that this was an excellent event for college students from HBCUs all across the south and Tybee Island to have fun,” Martavius Dallas, a Georgia Southern sophomore, said.

Cars filled Highway 80 with heavy traffic, long delays unfortunate accidents.

“I feel like everyone doesn’t have good intentions when they come, but nobody can’t stop anybody from going anywhere because it’s a free place,” said an Albany State student Kelsey Dawson.

North Beach Bar and Grill had to close early because the traffic and the number of people were overwhelming. “We closed at 7:30, usually 9:00, but traffic was busy, and we wanted to make sure all of our staff could make it home,” said Rob Frame, the general manager of North Beach Bar and Grill.
One tragic event that unfolded on Saturday of the 3-day beach bash was a shooting along Highway 80.

“Chuck Kearns, CEO of Chatham EMS, said, “A female was shot in the back while stuck in traffic.”

The beach was also littered with countless items of trash from the festival.

A collection of volunteers working under the Fight Dirty Tybee campaign, also known as Tybee Clean Beach, met Sunday, April 23, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. as a part of their initiative to keep the beach clean.

“This would be among the highest levels we get,” Tim Arnold, the founder and president of Tybee Clean Beach, said.

“4th of July weekend is nuts, memorial day, labor day, some late weekends in Sept, but this is pretty high level, we’ve filled those three recycle bins already,” Arnold said.

You can visit Tybee Clean Beach to find out information on future beach clean-ups.