A man was killed Sunday evening in a tragic construction accident outside Lowe’s on Knox Avenue in North Augusta.
According to Lt. Clay Swann with the North Augusta Department of Public Safety, emergency crews responded to the scene around 5:01 p.m. after reports of an accident in the parking lot. The victim, a male construction worker, was involved in a fatal incident while working at the site.
Aiken County EMS provided medical aid but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The Aiken County Coroner’s Office was notified and is assisting with the investigation. The man was identified as 43-year-old Ray C. Straight of West Virginia.
Though authorities have not released the name of the company involved, witness accounts online suggest the man was an employee of a paving company contracted to repave the Lowe’s parking lot. Multiple witnesses said the worker may have been struck by a milling machine — a piece of heavy equipment used to tear up old pavement.
One bystander alleged the worker was run over while operating or near the machine, while another reported vehicle damage caused by construction equipment in the area.
Authorities have not confirmed those witness details, and an official cause of death will be determined by the coroner’s office. The incident remains under investigation.
