NEWBERRY COUNTY — Newberry County Coroner Laura Kneece has determined the cause of death for 22 month old Madden James Madray, of Prosperity, to be blunt force injury. She has further determined the death to be an accident.
On Saturday, Feb. 9 at approximately 8 p.m. Madray was struck by a Chevrolet SUV travelling eastbound on Macedonia Church Road, near Wheeland School Road about six miles west of Chapin, while apparently playing in the proximity of the fog-line. Madray died on the scene.
According to Kneece, via witness interviews, during a cookout Madray was playing closely within eyesight, but as children tend to do, he got out of eyesight.
“As a community we should not tolerate negative comments or public persecution towards Madden Madray’s family or any other family members. It’s sad that in today’s society we are easy to judge and persecute someone over an incident that literally could happen to any person with a young child. We, as a community, should be praying and offering our continued support for families who experience such a tragic loss.”
According to Lance Cpl. Justin Sutherland with the S.C. Highway Patrol, they will not file charges in the collision.