Spartanburg Co. high school student-athlete dies following crash

SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – A high school student-athlete died early Monday morning following a UTV side-by-side crash in Spartanburg County.

The Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office identified 16-year-old Ethan Harrell, of Inman, as the victim in the fatal crash that occurred early Sunday morning in Chesnee.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol said Harrell and two others were traveling north on an off-road side-by-side on Hardin Road near Henry Cash Road after midnight when the vehicle went off the right side of the road and overturned.

Harrell was one of the passengers according to troopers. He was airlifted to a nearby hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries early Monday morning before 2 a.m.

The driver, identified as 40-year-old Randall Bell, was arrested and charged with felony DUI resulting in death, felony DUI with great bodily injury, child endangerment and open container.

According to Spartanburg County School District Two, Harrell was an 11th grader at Boiling Springs High School who played pitcher and 1st base on the baseball team.

The school district provided counselors and special services team members on-site at Boiling Springs High School Monday morning for students and staff as they grieved Harrell’s loss.

District officials mentioned that they will continue to provide grief resources for as long as it is needed at the BSHS campus.

Below is the full statement from Spartanburg County School District 2:

“This morning, we were notified that one of our beloved students had passed away.

Ethan Harrell was an 11 ^th grader at Boiling Springs High School. At BSHS, Ethan brought so many smiles to his classmates, teammates, teachers and coaches. Among the thousands of students at BSHS, Ethan stood out for all the right reasons. He will be missed by us all.

“He was a great teammate, classmate, and all-around terrific person.  He was always positive, well-mannered and was loved and respected by his peers as well as the faculty and staff at BSHS.  He left a lasting impact on his coaches and teachers,” said BSHS Principal Zack McQuigg. “I’ve never heard anyone say a negative word about Ethan, and he always represented his family and school community in a positive manner.  He will be missed dearly.”

Ethan played 1 ^st base and was also a pitcher on the baseball team.

“He had a great sense of humor and loved talking about trucks, motors and hunting,” said Head Coach Jeff Lipscomb. “Ethan was a great team player that everyone loved.”

We appreciate all of our BSHS school counselors and district office special services team members that were at BSHS this morning to provide students and staff with mental health support as they grieved Ethan’s loss. We will continue to provide these resources for as long as is needed.

Additionally, we are thankful for the member of our faith community that volunteered to be at school early this morning to console and comfort our students.

Our deepest condolences go out to the Harrell Family. They will be in our prayers throughout the difficult days ahead.

We ask that our community also keep them, and our Bulldog Family, in their prayers as well.”

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