SC man dies in riding lawnmower accident, coroner says

An Oconee County man died after becoming trapped underneath his riding lawnmower, according to the county coroner.

Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis identified the man as 81-year-old David Bearden of Bearden Hollow Drive.

Between 5 and 7 p.m. Friday, Bearden was riding his lawnmower near an embankment at his home in the Cleveland-Madison Community, Addis said. The lawnmower overturned and landed on top of Bearden at the bottom of the embankment. A friend came to check on Bearden and found him pinned beneath the mower.

Emergency dispatchers were called at 9:40 p.m. Bearden died at the scene from traumatic injuries, Addis said.

His death was ruled accidental.

This story was originally published April 25, 2020 at 9:37 AM with the headline "SC man dies in riding lawnmower accident, coroner says."

David Travis Bland

The State

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David Travis Bland is The State’s editorial editor. In his prior position as a reporter, he was named the 2020 South Carolina Journalist of the Year by the SC Press Association. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2010. Support my work with a digital subscription