31-year-old man driving a lawn mower hit and killed by 2 vehicles

CHEROKEE COUNTY, S.C. [KTRE]

A 31-year-old South Carolina man operating a riding lawn mower was killed Sunday morning when his vehicle was struck twice on a state highway in Cherokee County, authorities said.

The collision occurred around 6:35 a.m. on South Carolina Highway 329 near Ford Road, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol. A Chrysler minivan and the Craftsman lawn mower were traveling in the same direction when the minivan struck the mower from behind, forcing it across the centerline into oncoming traffic.

Once propelled into the opposing lane, the lawn mower was then hit by a Honda Civic traveling in the opposite direction, troopers said. Skylar Davis Miller, who was operating the mower, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Visibility was significantly compromised at the time of the incident due to dense fog blanketing the area, the coroner's office reported. Both drivers of the vehicles involved indicated they did not observe the lawn mower before impact, a visibility issue compounded by the fact that the mower was not equipped with any lighting.

Highway Patrol officials did not specify why Miller was operating the lawn mower on the roadway during early morning hours when visibility was already limited by weather conditions.