Child injured in deadly lawnmower crash on the road to recovery

ROCK HILL, S.C. (WBTV) – One person is facing charges after a man riding on a lawnmower and a teen riding in a truck died in a weekend crash in Rock Hill, officials said.

A 3-year-old child was also injured in the crash but is now on the road to recovery.

Christopher Kernaghan, 32, of Rock Hill, was riding a lawnmower and cutting grass when he was struck and killed by a vehicle, the coroner said.

Jessie Purser, 13, of Richburg, was a passenger in that vehicle, a news release stated. She was taken to Piedmont Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead by hospital staff, according to the coroner’s office.

A GoFundMe page has been started to assist Purser’s family with funeral expenses.

On Thursday, an update to a separate GoFundMe page said the injured 3-year-old child is now able to be wheeled around in a wheelchair.

“Donations, as well as prayers for this family, would be so greatly appreciated so we can try to help them get through this difficult time,” said Taylor Green, fundraiser organizer.

Green is a friend of the family and said with Kernaghan’s death, expenses will likely become a challenge and with the child in the hospital, medical bills are also expected to be a challenge.

“Since Chris was the primary income while Melissa took care of the kids and house, she’s now left trying to pick up the pieces. Their sweet little boy will have a ton of medical bills while he recovers and now Melissa will have to pay for the things to keep them going such as rent, groceries, etc along with the expenses for Chris’ funeral,” Green said.

The stated goal is $50,000. By late Friday morning, almost $3,000 had been raised.

According to the York County Coroner’s Office, the crash happened Saturday evening on Homestead Road.

Investigators with the South Carolina Highway Patrol say a truck driven by Christopher Mullis, 19, ran off the road, hitting Kernaghan and his son on the lawnmower. Purser was thrown from the truck, according to the coroner.

Mullis was arrested and charged with two counts of felony driving under the influence resulting in death and one count of felony driving under the influence resulting in bodily injury, according to online jail records.

Autopsy and toxicology results are pending, officials said. The South Carolina Highway Patrol and the York County Coroner’s Office will continue to investigate.

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