North Carolina state trooper Murico Stephens said the tree fell across U.S. Highway 176 near Tryon around 2:30 p.m. striking the WYFF-TV vehicle and crushing it.
The area has received heavy rain from the fringes of Subtropical Storm Alberto.
Anchor Mike McCormick and photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer were heading to a story when they were killed, WYFF-TV said.
WYFF News 4 anchor Mike McCormick and WYFF News 4 photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer died Monday when a tree fell on their SUV. https://t.co/VZZKA6K6qq All of us at WYFF News 4 are grieving. We are a family. pic.twitter.com/IQmZ6prUIH
— WYFF News 4 (@wyffnews4) May 28, 2018
WYFF anchor Carol Goldsmith said on air that McCormick and Smeltzer were "beloved members of our team - our family."
The tree fell in Polk County not far from where a landslide killed a woman in her home on May 19 after heavy rains.
WYFF-TV is based in Greenville, South Carolina.
SO SADDENED by the death of two WYFF employees in Polk Co. This afternoon their vehicle was toppled by a tree on 176. I'll remember reporter Mike McCormick for being a consummate pro. Photographer Aaron Smeltzer had a great sense of humor. RIP. Photos from @wyffnews4 pic.twitter.com/i749CmyLmU
— John Le WLOS Reporter (@AbsoluteLe) May 28, 2018
Our hearts go out to our friends at @wyffnews4 in the Upstate amid news of a tragic accident. One of their news anchors and a photojournalist died today when a tree fell on their vehicle while covering a story.https://t.co/M0uhXH7onK
— ABC News 4 (@ABCNews4) May 28, 2018
Horrible news from our sister station in Greenville, SC BREAKING: NBC-affiliate WYFF's news crew dies after tree falls on vehicle in NChttps://t.co/Erl2hINyEt https://t.co/Erl2hINyEt
— Brad Panovich (@wxbrad) May 28, 2018
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