NORTH TAZEWELL, Va. -The storm that affected many in our community has unfortunately resulted in one fatality.
Sheriff Brian Hieatt from the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office tells us that on late afternoon on Friday, a 71-year-old North Tazewell man was driving home when he encountered a tree which had fallen and blocked part of the road near the intersection between Whitley Branch Road and Clayton Drive.
After driving around it, he came back to the tree to try to clear this path for other motorists. Unfortunately, a combination of the ground which had been made soft from water and the high winds from the storm resulted in another tree falling on him and killing him.
“…Unfortunately, this was a case where he was trying to clear the road, he was trying to help his neighborhood. You know, we do live in a community where everyone tries to help everyone else, they try to help take care of their neighborhoods, their streets, and this was a case where he was out, trying to clear the street, trying to clear up so traffic could get by easier in his own neighborhood,” says Sheriff Hieatt.
Sheriff Hieatt says during storms like this one, it’s important to stay home in a safe shelter to help protect yourself from unforeseen dangers.
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