Couple killed in storm-related accident in Newberry County

NEWBERRY, S.C. – A couple has died in Newberry County after a storm-related crash during Tropical Storm Helene.

The county coroner said the couple, 49-year-old Robert Wise and 48-year-old Valencia Jones Wise, died Friday morning when a tree fell on their vehicle. It happened around 9:30 a.m. on Chapman Road in the Little Mountain area.

Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster says shortly before the crash, police spoke with the couple about roads blocked by fallen trees. Minutes later, police were notified that a tree had fallen on a vehicle.

“Rescue crew and fire department were right there, I mean they were right there,” Foster said. “They had the equipment right there and, along with a few neighbors, did everything they could to get the tree off the vehicle and get her out of the car, but unfortunately that wasn’t what was supposed to happen.”

A local resident who witnessed the accident described the scene.

“I remember seeing the couple and waving to the woman to direct traffic while some neighbors helped pick up trees from the street,” she said. “When I turned around, a tree that had been standing for over 50 years slowly came down and landed directly on the car. It was like slow motion, something out of a movie. I can still see her face in my head.

Foster says as the city continues to recover, many are still without power. He encourages everyone to remain patient and be careful on the road.

“So in this situation it takes time. So people have to have a little patience. The other thing is to stay off the streets. It's still very dangerous out there, especially at night.

The Newberry County Coroner's Office and the South Carolina Highway Patrol are currently investigating the incident.