Largest nationally-ranked prize won off of $3 lottery ticket in the Carolinas, officials say (2024)

THIS IS WYFF NEWS FOUR TODAY I’M JACKIE DEFUSCO IN WASHINGTON WITH A CLOSER LOOK AT A TROUBLING TRAFFIC SAFETY TREND. WHY MORE PEDESTRIANS ARE BEING KILLED ON US ROADWAYS. SCAN AND GO A THING OF THE PAST IN UPSTATE WALMART CHECKING OUT HOW TO CHANGE YOUR CHECKOUT EXPERIENCE. IT ALL STARTS THIS WEEKEND. GOOD MORNING. I’M PEYTON FURTADO. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY. WE’RE GOING TO START WITH OUR WEATHER AND TAKE A LIVE LOOK OUTSIDE FROM OUR HILTON GREENVILLE SKYCAM. LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS SKY, THAT PINK, PURPLE AND BLUE GREETING YOU THIS MORNING TELLING YOU TO WAKE ON UP. IT’S GOING TO BE A BEAUTIFUL DAY. WE’VE GOT SYDNEY SULLIVAN IN THE STUDIO WITH US. SYDNEY IS THIS IS THIS INDICATIVE OF A REALLY GOOD WEEKEND AHEAD? ABSOLUTELY, I WOULD SAY GRAB THAT CUP OF COFFEE, GET OUT ON THE PORCH, ENJOY THAT SUNRISE AS WE’VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL DAY AHEAD ALL ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. NICE AND DRY CONDITIONS. SO MAYBE YOU’RE HEADED TO THE SWAMP RABBIT TRAILL LATER TODAY. OR MAYBE YOU’RE GOING TO BE DOING SOME OUTDOOR VIEWING ACROSS THE AREA FOR THE MASTERS. BEAUTIFUL DAY TO DO SO. TEMPERATURES THIS MORNING ARE A LITTLE BIT ON THE CHILLY SIDE. 48 DEGREES IN GREENVILLE. JUST DROPPING A COUPLE OF DEGREES IN THE LAST 30 MINUTES. 49 IN ANDERSON, 45 IN SPARTANBURG, 53 IN ASHEVILLE, 51 IN COLOR IN FRANKLIN AND CULLOWHEE, SITTING AT 47 DEGREES. SO LIGHT JACKET THIS MORNING WILL SUFFICE. BUT AS THE DAY MOVES ON, YOU WON’T NEED THAT JACKET. IT IS GOING TO BE BREEZY FOR MOST OF THE DAY, THOUGH, ESPECIALLY FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. LOOK AT THESE WIND GUSTS 46 MILE PER HOUR WIND GUSTS AND A FEW SPOTS. CULLOWHEE 22 MILE PER HOUR WIND GUSTS. SO JAMYA CONDITIONS THAT WILL STICK WITH US, AT LEAST FOR THE UPSTATE NORTHEAST GEORGIA. NOT QUITE AS WINDY AS IT WAS YESTERDAY, BUT THE MOUNTAINS CERTAINLY ARE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH THAT WIND ALL DAY LONG, SO IT MIGHT MAKE THINGS FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE CHILLY SIDE NOW OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS, WE’VE GOT LOTS OF SUNSHINE. HIGHS WILL BE TOPPING OUT IN THE LOWER 70S ACROSS WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. WE WILL SEE A GRADUAL RISE INTO THE 60S, BUT AGAIN, THAT BREEZE WILL MAKE IT FEEL A LITTLE BIT COOLER. BUT AT LEAST WE’VE GOT THE SUNSHINE. BUT COMING UP, I’LL TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW LONG THE CHILL WILL STICK AROUND AND WHEN THE NEXT CHANCE FOR RAIN RETURNS TO THE AREA. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO SPENDING THE DAY OUTSIDE. THANK YOU. WE’VE GOT SOME BREAKING NEWS TO GET THROUGH THIS MORNING. A PERSON IS DEAD AFTER BEING HIT BY A TOW TRUCK IN OCONEE COUNTY. TROOPERS SAY IT HAPPENED JUST BEFORE 930 LAST NIGHT NEAR CARSON ROAD AT CANTY LANE. THAT’S ABOUT A HALF MILE NORTH OF SENECA. THEY SAY SOMEONE WAS WALKING ON CARSON ROAD AND A TOW TRUCK WAS TRAVELING NORTH WHEN THEY HIT THE PEDESTRIAN. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER WAS NOT INJURED, BUT THAT PEDESTRIAN DID DIE AT THE SCENE. THE VICTIM’S NAME HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED JUST YET. WE’RE ALSO FOLLOWING SOME BREAKING NEWS OUT OF CHEROKEE COUNTY WHERE SOMEONE DIED AFTER A SINGLE CAR CRASH. TROOPERS SAY IT HAPPENED JUST BEFORE 11 LAST NIGHT NEAR MCGILL HIGHWAY AND HOLLY BROOK DRIVE. THEY SAY A PICKUP TRUCK WAS TRAVELING EAST ON MCGILL HIGHWAY WHEN IT TRAVELED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OVERCORRECTED, WENT BACK ONTO THE ROADWAY, AND THEN HIT A TREE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD. TROOPERS SAY THE DRIVER WAS TAKEN TO GAFFNEY MEDICAL CENTER, WHERE THEY DIED. THE CORONER HAS NOT RELEASED THE VICTIM’S NAME. NORTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY PATROL IS INVESTIGATING RIGHT NOW, AND WE’RE WORKING TO LEARN MORE. AFTER OFFICIALS SAY GREENEVILLE POLICE AND FIRE RESPONDED TO A STRUCTURE FIRE AT PRISMA HEALTH CENTER FOR PEDIATRIC MEDICINE. WE’RE TOLD BY DISPATCH THEY WERE CALLED JUST BEFORE ONE THIS MORNING. A REPRESENTATIVE FROM PRISMA HEALTH TELLS US THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED TO A SINGLE BUILDING. THIS IS VIDEO FROM THAT SCENE. OFFICIALS SAY NO INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED AND THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE IS STILL BEING ASSESSED. WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO UPDATE YOU AS WE LEARN MORE AND TROOPERS ARE INVESTIGATING ANOTHER DEADLY CRASH IN CHEROKEE COUNTY, THE CORONER SAYS A MAN FROM GAFFNEY WAS DRIVING FAST ON LEAD MINE STREET AT ABOUT 6:00 YESTERDAY EVENING. HE LOST CONTROL OF HIS JEEP LIBERTY AND WAS THROWN FROM THE SUV. HE DIED AT THE SCENE AND HIS NAME HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED YET IN PICKENS COUNTY. THE CORONER SAYS A MAN DIED AFTER BEING CRUSHED UNDER A LAWNMOWER. THEY SAY IT HAPPENED AT AROUND SIX YESTERDAY EVENING AT A HOME ON EDGAR DRIVE. THE CORONER SAYS 76 YEAR OLD JIMMY FREEMAN WAS MOWING GRASS WHEN THE MOWER OVERTURNED AND TRAPPED HIM UNDERNEATH. WE’RE TOLD HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. ALSO IN PICKENS COUNTY, A MAN HAS DIED AFTER A CRASH EARLIER THIS WEEK. OFFICIALS SAY IT HAPPENED MONDAY NIGHT ON POPE FIELD ROAD AND WALNUT HILL ROAD IN EASLEY. WE’RE TOLD THE CRASH INVOLVED AN 18 WHEELER. THE CORONER SAYS CHRISTOPHER DURHAM WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BUT DIED ON THURSDAY. WE HAVE NO DETAILS ON WHAT LED UP TO THAT CRASH JUST YET. AND IN SPARTANBURG COUNTY, AN INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY AFTER AN INMATE DIED IN CUSTODY. THE CORONER SAYS THEY WERE CALLED TO THE HOSPITAL, WHERE THEY IDENTIFIED THE INMATE AS 30 YEAR OLD ASHLEY APPLE. HE SAYS THE INITIAL EXAM DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF FOUL PLAY. STAY WITH WIFE NEWS FOR AS WE WORK TO LEARN MORE. PEDESTRIAN DEATHS ON U.S. ROADWAYS ARE AT THEIR HIGHEST LEVEL IN MORE THAN FOUR DECADES. YOU CAN PROBABLY TELL FROM JUST LISTENING TO OUR NEWSCAST THIS MORNING. THAT’S ACCORDING TO NEWLY RELEASED FEDERAL DATA ON TRAFFIC CRASHES. WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT JACKIE DEFUSCO IS DIGGING INTO THAT TREND. THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW TRAFFIC SAFETY TRENDS THAT’S MOVING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. THE LATEST DATA SHOWS THAT PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST DEATHS ARE INCREASING, EVEN AS OVERALL DEATHS FROM MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES ARE DECREASING AND BEHIND THAT STATISTIC ARE THOUSANDS OF GRIEVING LOVED ONES. I SPOKE TO ONE OF THEM. THEY CAME IN THE MAIL AFTER SHE DIED. JESSICA HART REFLECTS ON SIMPLE MEMORIES. SHE’S VERY EXPRESSIVE. THAT ALL CAME TO A HALT WHEN HER FIVE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, ALLIE, WAS KILLED IN A CAR CRASH IN 2021. IT’S A TERRIBLE WAY TO THINK OF SOMEONE YOU LOVE DYING. IT KILLS ME THAT HER LAST MOMENTS WERE IN A CROSSWALK. THE CROSSWALK JUST AROUND THE CORNER FROM HER HOME IN WASHINGTON, D.C., WHERE ALLIE WAS RIDING HER BICYCLE. NEXT TO HER DAD WHEN SHE WAS HIT. THIS MEMORIAL, A PAINFUL REMINDER. IT’S A PHYSICAL REMINDER AND NOT SO MUCH FOR ME, BUT FOR EVERYBODY ELSE THAT A LITTLE GIRL WAS KILLED HERE. TRAGEDIES LIKE THIS ARE ONLY BECOMING MORE COMMON ACCORDING TO NEW DATA FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, MORE THAN 7500 PEDESTRIANS WERE KILLED IN TRAFFIC CRASHES IN 2022. THAT’S THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN MORE THAN FOUR DECADES. PEDESTRIAN DEATHS HAVE FAR OUTPACED THE RISE IN ALL OTHER TRAFFIC DEATHS. ADAM SNYDER WITH THE GOVERNOR’S HIGHWAY SAFETY ASSOCIATION, SAYS THAT’S BEING DRIVEN BY A NUMBER OF FACTORS. DANGEROUS DRIVING ROSE AT THE START OF THE PANDEMIC AND HAS NOT ABATED. OUR VEHICLES ARE GETTING LARGER AND HEAVIER, WHICH IS MORE DANGEROUS FOR PEOPLE WALKING. OUR ROADS ARE DESIGNED FOR SPEED, NOT SAFETY. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SAYS FIXING THE PROBLEM IS A PRIORITY. THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW INCLUDES BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR NEW ROAD SAFETY PROJECTS AND, UNDER ONE PROPOSED RULE, NEW VEHICLES WOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEMS DESIGNED TO AVOID PEDESTRIANS. CHANGES TO VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE ARE WONDERFUL, BUT TAKE A LONG TIME TO IMPLEMENT IT. AND FOR GRIEVING PARENTS, PROGRESS CAN’T COME FAST ENOUGH. THE SPEED OF CHANGE IS HARD TO SEE WHEN YOU WANT IT NOW. THE GOVERNOR’S HIGHWAY SAFETY ASSOCIATION SAYS ONE OF THE MORE IMMEDIATE SOLUTIONS HERE IS CRACKING DOWN ON THINGS LIKE DISTRACTED DRIVING AND SPEEDING ON OUR ROADWAYS. REPORTING IN WASHINGTON I’M JACKIE DEFUSCO. A MAJOR SETTLEMENT HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED IN THE ABUSE LAWSUIT AGAINST GREENVILLE COUNTY BASED ROCKSTAR CHEER AND DANCE AND SOME OTHER CHEERLEADING COMPANIES. COURT DOCUMENTS SAY THE CASE AGAINST ROCKSTAR CHEER AND DANCE AND THE UNITED STATES ALL STAR FEDERATION HAVE BEEN DISMISSED. DOCUMENTS SHOW ATTORNEYS BEGAN NOTIFYING A JUDGE THEY HAD SETTLED CLAIMS WITH ALL PLAINTIFFS INVOLVED. THE SETTLEMENT DETAILS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC, JUST YET. ATTORNEYS CLAIM TEENAGE ATHLETES WERE PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY AND SEXUALLY ABUSED BY ROCKSTAR CHEER OWNER SCOTT FOSTER AND OTHER COACHES OVER SEVERAL YEARS. FOSTER DIED BY SUICIDE IN AUGUST OF 2022, JUST DAYS BEFORE THIS LAWSUIT WAS FILED. THE GYM CLOSED JUST A WEEK AFTER THE JUDGE SAYS IF THE SETTLEMENT IS NOT COMPLETED WITHIN 60 DAYS, THE CASE CAN BE REOPENED. AND IN WALTERBORO, POLICE LOOKING FOR A MISSING WOMAN MADE A VERY GRUESOME DISCOVERY. OFFICERS IN WALTERBORO SAY THEY FOUND THE BODY OF 32 YEAR OLD VICTORIA JEAN BEACH INSIDE OF A SUITCASE WEDNESDAY. BEACH HAD BEEN REPORTED MISSING EARLIER THAT SAME DAY. INVESTIGATORS FOUND THE SUITCASE AND BODY IN AN ABANDONED BUILDING. NO WORD ON ANY ARRESTS OR SUSPECTS AT THIS TIME. AND IF YOU SHOP AT THE WALMART ON WHITE HORSE ROAD, YOU MAY NOTICE SOME CHANGES, AS STORE OFFICIALS SAY THEY’VE DECIDED TO REMOVE THE SELF CHECKOUT LANES. THEY SAY IT’S TO IMPROVE THE IN-STORE EXPERIENCE AND HELP ASSOCIATES DELIVER MORE PERSONALIZED AND EFFICIENT SERVICE, WHILE ALSO IMPROVING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. THE SELF CHECKOUT REMOVAL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SUNDAY AND THE TRANSITION WILL LAST ABOUT TWO WEEKS. ACROSS THE COUNTRY, NBC AFFILIATES REPORT STORES LIKE WALMART ARE DIALING BACK ON SELF