NEWBERRY, S.C. — A couple is dead in Newberry County after a storm-related crash caused during Tropical Storm Helene.
The county coroner says the couple, 49-year-old Robert Wise and 48-year-old Valencia Jones Wise, died when a tree fell on their vehicle Friday morning. It happened around 9:30 a.m. on Chapman Road in the Little Mountain area.
Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster says not long before the accident, police spoke to the couple regarding blocked roads from fallen trees. Minutes later, police were notified about a tree falling on a vehicle.
"Rescue squad and fire department were right there, I mean they were right there," Foster said. "They had equipment right there and they did, along with a couple neighbors, they did everything they could to get the tree off the vehicle and extricate them from the car but unfortunately it was not meant to be.”
A nearby resident who witnessed the crash described the scene.
“I remember seeing the couple and waving to the wife, helping direct traffic as some neighbors were helping pick up trees from the roads," she said "Then when I turned around, a tree that has been standing for over 50 years just slowly came down and landed right on top of the car. It was like slow motion, something out a movie. I can still see her face in my head"
Foster says as the town continues to recover, many are still without power. He encourages everyone to remain patient and be careful on the roads.
“So in that situation, it takes time. So people have to pack a little bit of patience. The other thing is try to stay off the roads. It's still very dangerous out there, especially at night.
The Newberry County Coroner’s office and the South Carolina Highway patrol are investigating the incident at this time.