Falling tree kills 15-year-old entering grandparent’s garage in storm, SC coroner says
A falling tree killed a 15-year-old boy as he entered his grandparent’s garage during a powerful storm, South Carolina officials said.
The teenager was getting out of a car when rain and strong winds caused a tree to come out of the ground. The uprooted tree hit the boy and also toppled onto the home’s garage and fence, according to the Anderson County coroner’s office.
The 15-year-old was found trapped under the tree and was pronounced dead. He was identified in a news release as Evan Christopher Kinley of Anderson.
The teen died at about 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 7. That afternoon, the National Weather Service warned that dangerous storms could batter the region with 75 mph winds, tornadoes and hail the size of ping-pong balls. Thousands of Duke Energy customers had no power after the bout of severe weather, which created “widespread storm damage,” officials said.
Anderson School District Five said Evan was “tragically killed” as the storms rolled through. He was a 10th grader at T.L. Hanna High School, which planned to have additional support in place for students and employees.
“Words never seem to convey comfort during a time like this, but please take a moment to remember why we are in the roles that we are, and please keep Evan, his family, and the TLH students, faculty, and staff in mind as you go about your day,” Superintendent Brenda Kelley wrote in a statement to workers, according to an email the district shared with McClatchy News.
Though an investigation continues, Evan’s death has been ruled a weather-related accident. He “died of multiple traumatic injuries secondary to blunt force trauma,” the coroner’s office wrote.
In addition to the tree that hit Evan, several others fell on his grandparent’s property and in the surrounding Anderson neighborhood, officials said.
Anderson is roughly 30 miles southwest of Greenville.
This story was originally published August 8, 2023 at 7:46 AM with the headline "Falling tree kills 15-year-old entering grandparent’s garage in storm, SC coroner says."
