Autopsies Continue Today for Plane Crash Victims

Autopsies continue today on the four men killed Friday when their small plane crashed near the Stephens County line in Oconee County.

It happened Friday about 4p when the plane crashed near U.S.123 on Lake Hartwell in Oconee County, SC near the Georgia State line.

Authorities say the plane, a 1984 single engine Piper Saratoga, left Warsaw, Indiana at approximately midday Friday and was scheduled to land at the Oconee County Airport later Friday afternoon.

Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis tells WLHR News, he has completed autopsies on two of the victims, the pilot 71-year old Charles Smith and his son 44-year old Scott Smith.

Addis said Charles Smith died from multiple injuries due to blunt force trauma.  His son, Scott died from a fractured neck due to blunt force trauma.

Addis said autopsies will be performed today on the remaining two victims, 54-year old Tony L. Elliott and 51-year old Scott D. Bibler.

coAll of the victims were from Warsaw, Indiana and were on their way to the Clemson/Notre Dame game in Clemson.

According to InkFreeNews.com, Charles Smith was seeking re-election to the Kosciousko common council.

As a member of the city’s common council, he represented the council on the Warsaw Aviation Board, on the Warsaw Board of Public Works and served on the Warsaw Redevelopment Commission.  “Coach” as he was known to many, was a coach and teacher for 16 years.

His son Scott was a local attorney in Warsaw County, IN and served as the deputy prosecuting attorney in St. Joseph, Allen and Kosciusko counties.

Scott Bibler had spent the last 25 years making a difference in the lives of young people as a football coach and educator at Tippecanoe Valley High School.  He hoped to continue that impact by trading in his coaching whistle for a new career.

Tony Elliott, was the owner of Elliott’s Custom Trailers, Warsaw, according to InkFreeNews.com and was an avid sprint car racer.  He had raced all over the world. In his racing career, Elliott entered 236 races posting 27 wins during his career, between 1982 and 2012 according to DriverDatabase.