SC man accused of stabbing wife, hitting her with rental car

ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — A Fort Mill man is behind bars accused of stabbing his wife and hitting her with a car while they were on the way to catch a cruise.
 
Michael Barber is being held in Orangeburg County without bond.
 
According to deputies, the couple flew to New York to catch a Caribbean cruise but weren't allowed to board because they didn't have proper identification.
 
The couple rented a car and drove back to Fort Mill, South Carolina to pick up their IDs so they could continue the drive south to catch the cruise ship in Port Canaveral, Florida.  The trip took a violent turn after deputies said the couple got into an argument off Interstate 26 in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
 
Michael Barber is accused of stabbing his wife Thelma in the neck with a box cutter and hitting her with the rental car as she tried to escape.
 
Thelma managed to get away and went to a nearby restaurant to get help.
 
Channel 9 spoke with the couple's neighbor, Gary Hutchinson. 
 
"He doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would do that."  Hutchinson said, "He told me he was going on vacation and I went and mowed their lawn for them."
 
Hutchinson moved across the street from the Barbers and their children last fall.  He said they've been good neighbors.
 
"They're a nice couple.  They are the first couple to introduce themselves to us here," he said.
 
Hutchinson said he is concerned for the family and still trying to process what happened.
 
"It kind of blows my mind. It doesn't seem that way. It's kind of unbelievable," he said.
 
Michael Barber is charged with attempted murder and for possessing a weapon during violent crime. He's due back in court next month. His wife is expected to recover.

WSOC