KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — A lawsuit following a fatal boat collision that killed a 15-year-old Kershaw County boy claims Kershaw County Coroner David West acted inappropriately on the night of the crash. West says those claims are false.
Just weeks ago, the Patriot boat ramp was the scene of a heartbreaking death of a local 15-year-old. According to law enforcement, a boat collision killed one passenger along the Wateree River on May 5th.
Nearly two months later, a lawsuit was filed by the victim's parents and Strom Law Firm LLC against a number of individuals relating to the incident, including two boat operators, Zach Cameron and Trent Mathis, and five gas station workers accused of selling Cameron alcohol.
The lawsuit does not list Kershaw County Coroner David West as a defendant. However, it makes several allegations about his actions during that evening.
The suit alleges that because of Cameron's relationship with the coroner, he has avoided consequences for his involvement in the collision.
The lawsuit reads, in part:
"According to the CAD report, one of the first people on scene was David West, the elected coroner and defendant Cameron's grandfather. In and of itself, West’s immediate presence at the accident was irregular, as there was no indication of a fatality at the time of the initial call."
"Coroner West actively engaged with these officials and inserted himself into the investigation, telling law enforcement that he, the coroner, had checked the kids including his grandson for alcohol, and that alcohol was not a factor. Meanwhile, witnesses have stated law enforcement along with West, told defendants Cameron and Mathis and the other kids at the scene to dispose of any residual trash in the boats, which would include any indicia of alcohol."
West denies the allegations, saying he was not one of the first people to arrive on the scene and was told by dispatch there was a death before he even arrived on the scene.
"EMS was there, two of the coroner's office people were there, blue lights, everything," West said. "When I got there, there was an ambulance backed down to the ramp. I was one of the last ones, because I had to park way up the road from the thing to get down there to it."
West said that conversations with law enforcement were limited, and rumors about him directing things at the scene were not true.
"I did not direct anything," West said. "Two of my paid deputy coroners was here and one was an unpaid coroner was there, they handled everything."
West also claims he had no hand in the autopsy or the investigation into the collision. Kershaw County Sheriff Lee Boan says that is now the responsibility of SCDNR and SLED, and West will continue in his role as normal.
"That night, we decided the deputy coroner was going to handle everything, I'm staying out of it," West said.
Strom Law Firm said the family was still in the grieving process and was not available to talk.
Boan said he hopes to have more information in the coming days.