Man dies after lawn mower falls over cliff

PICKENS COUNTY, S.C. (WHNS/Gray) - A retired county employee in South Carolina was killed when the lawn mower he was riding went off a cliff.

Officials said officers responded Tuesday at about 9:05 p.m. to a home in Pickens County. The Pickens County Coroner’s Office reported the victim, identified as Richard Crowe, 68, was riding the lawn mower when it went over an approximately 15- to 20-foot cliff.

There were no other vehicles involved.

The Pickens County Coroner’s Office said Crowe had retired in 2024 as the county’s director of E-911. The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office said Crowe had served Pickens County for more than two decades.

“He has always been known as a dear friend to many and a public servant at heart,” the Pickens County Coroner’s Office said.

The incident is being investigated by the Pickens County Coroner’s Office and the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office.

An autopsy has been ordered to assist with determining the cause and manner of death.