ROCK HILL, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A 19-year-old is facing multiple charges after the pickup truck he was driving struck a lawnmower last weekend in Rock Hill, resulting in the death of a 13-year-old girl and 32-year-old man, SC State Highway Patrol said.
Christopher Matthew Mullis, 19, has been charged with three counts of felony driving under the influence resulting in death and bodily injury.
Troopers responded to calls regarding the deadly incident around 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 3, along Homestead Road.
Authorities said, Christopher Kernaghan, 32, of Rock Hill, was riding a lawn mower cutting grass when he was struck by a vehicle. Kernaghan was ejected and died at the scene.
Another person, Jessie Purser, of Richburg, 13, was a passenger in the vehicle involved in the crash. Troopers said she was ejected from the vehicle in the crash. She was taken to Piedmont Medical Center where she was pronounced dead by hospital staff.
“Jessie Purser was a beautiful and vibrant 13-year-old student at Lewisville Middle School in Richburg, SC. She was loved by many,” it reads on a GoFundMe to help the family. “Jessie was loved by so many and touched so many lives in her 13 short years. She was greatly loved and will be forever missed.”
SC Highway Patrol and the York County Coroner’s Office continue to investigate this case.
