(PHOTO/Greenville Online)
A champion race car driver and well-known high school football coach were among four people killed Friday in a single-engine plane crash in a wooded area of Lake Hartwell.
Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis identified the men as: Charles D. Smith, 71; his son, Scott A. Smith, 44; Tony L. Elliott, 54; and Scott D. Bibler, 51. They were all from Warsaw, Indiana.
According to Greenville Online the men were flying from Warsaw to Clemson to watch the Clemson versus Notre Dame football game. There were no survivors.
The Victims
Elliott won the U.S. Auto Club national sprint car series in 1998 and 2000.
Tony Stewart Racing posted a message on Facebook early Saturday along with a photo of Elliott. It reads:
“We were sorry to hear of the tragic passing of our competitor and friend, Tony Elliott, following a plane crash on Friday, Oct. 2nd. A fierce competitor on the track, he was also a father, husband, son, brother and friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Elliott family at this time. Godspeed & Rest In Peace.” — Tony Stewart Racing
According to inkfreenews.com, Charles Smith was a former state-champion football coach at Tippecanoe Valley High School in Warsaw. He was also a banker and Warsaw City Councilman. His son Scott was an attorney in Warsaw. Bibler was also a former Tippecanoe Valley football coach who had just resigned to take a job with an in-home family counseling company.
Cause Under Investigation
The plane crashed in a wooded area of Lake Hartwell in the Tabor community near the South Carolina/Georgia state line. A 911 call reported the plane spiraling downward at 3:13 p.m., Addis said.
Oconee County Emergency Services officials said they located the debris field and bodies on the Oconee County side of the lake
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.
