$30M for SC Teacher Killed by Falling Utility Pole

$30M for SC Teacher Killed by Falling Utility Pole

Introduction

The family of a South Carolina woman who was fatally struck by a falling utility pole has reached a $30 million wrongful death settlement with Dominion Energy and Comporium, the companies involved.

The incident occurred last August when a truck legally passing through downtown Wagener snagged an unused communication line, causing the tension to break two utility poles. One of the poles was launched into the air, striking the 31-year-old victim as she was taking a lunch break from her job as a social studies teacher at Wagener-Salley High School. Despite efforts to save her, she died shortly after being transported to the hospital.

The settlement, filed in Aiken County, does not disclose how the $30 million will be divided between Dominion Energy, which installed a light on the decaying pole, and Comporium, which owned the unused line. Surveillance footage from a nearby store showed the victim attempting to avoid the falling pole before being struck. The pole's exact age is unknown, but it is believed to be over 70 years old, with no maintenance records available. The town’s mayor, aged 69, recalled a bottlecap he had nailed to one of the poles as a child, illustrating its age.

A month before the tragic event, Dominion Energy had announced a plan to begin replacing outdated infrastructure in the small town of Wagener, home to about 600 residents. Following the settlement, the family’s attorney expressed hope that Dominion and Comporium would prioritize inspections and replacement of aging utility poles, particularly in smaller towns where such infrastructure can be neglected.

Dominion Energy expressed satisfaction with the settlement and extended its deepest condolences to the victim’s family. The family plans to use part of the settlement to establish the Teacher’s Hope Fund, which will support teachers nationwide by providing school supplies and other resources. The victim’s father remembered his daughter as a dedicated educator who worked her way up from a substitute teacher and often spent her own money to provide for her students. He described her as “a light taken too soon” and someone who brought joy to others.