North Carolina Teen Dies After Falling From a Hunting Stand, Accidentally Impaling Himself

A teen from North Carolina died when his hunting stand shifted, and he fell onto his rifle barrel. According to the Mississippi authorities, the 17-year-old teen was in a ladder stand when the accident happened.

Hunting stand accident

Mack Wilemon, the coroner from Tishomingo County, told WTVA that the victim, Justin Lee Smith, was in the northwest part of the county near the Alcorn County line on November 21. The ladder stand turned to one side, causing Smith to fall about 10 feet from the top.

Wilemon said that the teen was impaled in his chest by the barrel of his rifle. He was able to call 911 on his cellphone, but he passed away shortly afterward.

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It is not clear in the police reports if Smith went out on his own to hunt or if he was with friends or family members when the accident happened, but he was alone on the ladder stand when the accident occurred.

Following Smith's death, a GoFundMe page was set up to help raise money for his funeral. The page reads, "Thank you to anyone helping Jackie and Jamie with the funds for Justin's funeral. It's never easy to lose someone, but to lose them so young is devastating."

The page also stated that due to a recent job change, his parents' life insurance policy that would have covered the funeral expenses of Smith was deactivated. In a heartbreaking Facebook post, the victim's grandmother said how her grandson loved to hunt and fish.

A state wildlife agency is now investigating the accident. There is no other information that was immediately available from local officials.

Similar incident

During the opening weekend of gun deer season in Wisconsin, an alderman from the city of West Bend had died due to a tragic hunting accident, according to Fox News.

The Washington Island Police Department confirmed that the case was nothing more but an accident and there was no foul play involved, but the exact cause of death is still under investigation.

However, findings have lead authorities to believe that the victim, City of West Bend Alderman and Council President Steve Hoogester, was coming out of a ground blind when he tripped and accidentally shot himself. The 65-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ald. Jed Dolnick of West Bend said that Hoogester was a nice person, sensible, and seriously took all of his responsibilities. He added that many friends in the area and people he knows are heartbroken over the news. Dolnick said that the accident was terrible, and he could not believe it.

A fellow alderman says he knew Hoogester for decades and that he was a good man. Dolnick noted that the accident was devastating to hear as he and Hoogester started on separate departments in law enforcement in Washington County, which was more than 40 years ago.

As many mourn his tragic passing, the city leader said that his absence would be noticed. DNR officials also noted that there were three other incidents this weekend related to accidental shootings. All of them are currently being investigated.