17-year-old mom dies as large bird causes truck crash, SC officials say. ‘Heartbroken’
A 17-year-old mom died after a large bird hit a pickup truck, causing it to crash, South Carolina officials said.
The teen’s boyfriend, a high school senior and the father of her child, was left in critical condition after the wreck early Sept. 24, according to news outlets and a Facebook post from Anderson School District 2.
The deceased teen was identified as Abbigail “Grace” Callaham, a junior at Belton-Honea Path High School.
“Her dad was grief stricken,” Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore told WSPA. “Abbigail’s 12 year old sister was also on the scene. It just breaks our heart to see them suffering like that. It’s just a tragedy.”
The crash was reported at about 11 a.m., after the couple left school for early dismissal. The boyfriend was driving as the two were on their way to a day care to pick up their 4-month-old girl, the coroner’s office told WHNS.
“Preliminary investigation shows that the victim was a passenger in a Chevrolet S10 traveling on Clamp Drive when a large bird, possibly a turkey, flew out of the woods and hit the windshield of the truck,” the coroner’s office wrote in a news release. “The driver then lost control of the vehicle, ran off the right side of the roadway where he overcorrected, crossed the center line and hit a tree on the left side of the roadway.”
Callaham, who wasn’t wearing a seat belt, suffered “multiple traumatic injuries,” the coroner’s office said. She died at the scene in Belton, a roughly 25-mile drive south from Greenville.
The teen’s boyfriend was taken to a hospital in critical condition. McClatchy News has reached out to the S.C. Highway Patrol, which reportedly was working with the coroner’s office to investigate the crash.
“We are all heartbroken over the circumstances,” Shore told WYFF.
After the tragedy, the school district said it would show support for Callaham and her boyfriend at a Sept. 25 event.
“We will have extra counselors at BHP to provide grief support to students and staff,” the district wrote. “Please keep Grace’s family in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate through this difficult time.”
This story was originally published September 25, 2024 at 9:12 AM with the headline "17-year-old mom dies as large bird causes truck crash, SC officials say. ‘Heartbroken’."
