The man killed by a windthrow at Biltmore Estate was a veteran New York firefighter

A veteran New York City Fire Department celebrating his birthday and Father’s Day on a mountain vacation with his family on a man murdered on June 17, after a tree fell on an SUV in Asheville-Builtmore Estate. I was a firefighter at the station.

Casey Skuddin would have been 46 years old on June 19, FDNY spokesman Jim Long told the Citizen Times.

“He was appointed to the FDNY in January 2006 and worked for 16 years,” Long said of Skudin. “He worked with the Ladder 137 in the Rockaway area of ​​Queens.”

He said Skudin was married to Angela Skudin and had two children.

Marissa Jamison, a spokesman for Biltmore Estate, said an adult on the entrance road after a tree fell during a storm on the afternoon of June 17 and collided with a car carrying three adults and one child. Said that she had been killed, but she said she did not have an ID card. Victim.

Initial coverage: A person killed in Asheville’s Builtmore Estate after a tree fell into a car during a “strong wind”

Angela Skuddin posted about the tragedy on her Instagram account:

“It’s very sad to announce the death of my rock, my partner for 20 years. @Cskudin You are so loved and so lonely. Our family will be healed forever,” she said. Wrote. ..

“The whole family was involved in an unusual accident in Asheville, North Carolina, where a tree fell on an SUV on the second day of a family vacation to celebrate Father’s Day Casey’s birthday. Our youngest was hospitalized with minor injuries. Our eldest son Ben and I did it with just a few injuries … I can assure you that nothing is guaranteed, so hug your loved ones. please.”

From the photos posted on her account, the family seemed to visit Blue Ridge Parkway Asheville before the accident in Biltmore. Angela Skuddin also posted a photo of the car after the accident, showing that it’s almost totaled.

Related covers: One dead and three seriously injured after a car fell into a car in the Pisga National Forest

The story continues

Jamison said trees came down into the car during a “weather event with strong winds.”

According to the National Meteorological Agency, “up to a tenth inch of rain” fell during the storm, and gusts of up to 40 mph were measured at Asheville Regional Airport around 4:11 pm on June 17.

Clay Chaney, a NWS meteorologist in Greer, South Carolina, said:

“It could have been a pre-thunderstorm runoff boundary created by a thunderstorm that was crossing western Buncombe County to help kill trees. The actual storm itself was at 4:05 pm It didn’t hit the Biltmore Estate until around that time. “

Buncombe County’s EMS and Asheville Fire Department said, “With the help of Biltmore’s on-site team, we were the first person to respond on-site. Three adults and one child were taken to a mission hospital in a car. The accident caused a fatal injury to an adult, “Jamison said in a statement on June 18.

The Asheville Fire Department was dispatched to the scene at 3:45 pm on June 17, after receiving a 911 call at 3:44 pm, spokesman Kelly Klope said.

She said she didn’t have the victim’s name, but Klope said the victim was a driver.

“He died before we arrived at the scene,” she told the Citizen Times. “He succumbed to an injury caused by a fallen tree.”

According to Long with FDNY, Skudin was a decorated firefighter, rescue surfer and lifeguard. In 2010, Skudin was brave enough to jump into the frigid waters of November 2009 during a storm with a gust of up to 39 mph to rescue a surfer trapped in the water with a surfboard string. I was awarded the Chief Association Memorial Medal.

According to the FDNY, Skudin also holds a bachelor’s degree in marine biology from UNC Wilmington.

Jamison said the investigation was underway, but did not say which agency was investigating. Bill Davis, a spokesperson for Asheville police, said Biltmore police responded to the accident and APD was not involved.

Angela Skudin has finished posting her Instagram:

“My sweet bear I thank you for choosing me to be the love of your life .. I don’t know what to do now, but with the love of this community we move forward … Thank you Long Beach New York, FDNY, Ashville FD For all love and support. “

Karen Chávez is a content coach / research editor for Asheville Citizen Times, which is part of the USA TODAY network. Tip? Call 828-712-6316, email, call KChavez @ CitizenTimes.com, or follow us on Twitter. @KarenChavezACT..

This article was originally published in Asheville Citizen Times. Veteran FDNY firefighter killed by fallen tree at Biltmore Estate