NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Authorities say a plane crash in North Myrtle Beach on Sunday, July 2, killed five people.
Horry County Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard said on Monday that the pilot and three other people died at the crash scene, and a fifth was rushed to an area hospital and died a short time later.
The victims' names were temporarily withheld as several people in the crash were related, and their families are from another area of the country. Willard has identified the victims as:
- Dr. Joseph Farnese, 66, of Caldwell, New Jersey, who piloted the plane
- Tanique Cheu, 32
- Cheu's son Sean Gardner, 7
- Odaycia Edwards, 17
- Suzette Coleman-Edwards, 42, mother of Odaycia. Coleman-Edwards died in the hospital.
Excluding Farnese, who was from Caldwell, New Jersey, all the victims were from East Orange, New Jersey. The coroner's office said they died from multiple traumatic injuries and burns.
All but Farnese had legal next of kin living in Jamaica.
The crash happened around 11 a.m. along Gray Heron Drive in the Barefoot Resort area of North Myrtle Beach. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the aircraft as a Piper PA-32.
FAA data shows that the aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances after departing from the runway.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident.