Police report reveals new details in crash that broke Clemson football kicker’s leg
Last month, a Clemson football player was riding his electric scooter on campus and waited for all other vehicles to safely depart a four-way junction at Memorial Stadium before moving forward. However, another Clemson student, who was subsequently cited for violating a stop sign, said he “did not see” Tigers backup kicker Quinn Castner as he was entering the intersection and hit Castner with his truck, apparently fracturing his leg. That’s according to a police report received by The State through a public records request, which provided fresh information about the October 17 incident.
The website TigerNet.com initially reported on Castner’s mishap, which happened two days before Clemson’s Oct. 19 home game against Virginia. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said after the game that Castner, a fifth-year senior who joined the team in 2020, was “doing good” two days after the incident. According to TigerNet, Castner suffered a complex fracture (a break or crack in a bone visible through the skin) in his lower right leg on the morning of October 17, had successful surgery to fix it, and was “resting comfortably” that night. “Very, very fortunate that it wasn’t worse,” Swinney remarked on Oct. 19.
Police report outlines the incident. According to a Clemson University Police Department incident record obtained by The State, on the morning of October 17, an officer responded to a complaint of a motor vehicle accident with injuries at the intersection of Williamson Road and South Palmetto Boulevard on campus. That four-way intersection is approximately a block from Clemson’s football stadium and runs parallel to the university’s Woodland Cemetery.
CUPD officer Dawson Cress arrived at 9:26 a.m. and reported that Castner, 22, was “laying in the middle of the intersection on his back” as a male man was “applying pressure to Castner’s right leg with what appeared to be a bandage.”
Castner was “coherent,” according to the report, and was able to answer the officer’s questions concerning the incident. Castner stated that he had been riding his e-scooter on campus, approached the stop sign at the junction, and entered “after other vehicles safely exited.” According to the investigation, Castner stated that he arrived at the crossroads before “a truck hit him off his scooter.” The truck driver, who did not depart the scene and remained around to assist Castner following the event, was also identified as a Clemson student. The motorist, whose identity was redacted in the event report, “stated that he did not see Castner as he was entering into the intersection and he hit him with the front of his truck,”
Per the report. According to CUPD, Castner was transferred to nearby Oconee Memorial Hospital for injuries received during the crash. The male Clemson student driving the truck was not detained, but he was cited for violating a stop sign before being “released from the scene” by the police. According to the event report, CUPD later got video evidence of the incident, confirming that the truck driver “disregarded a stop sign and struck Castner.” The event was designated as “administratively closed” later that day. The incident report censored a portion that detailed Castner’s precise injuries.
Quinn Castner’s Clemson Career Castner first came to Clemson as a walk-on in 2020, after lettering in football at Nation Ford High School in Fort Mill, South Carolina. As a senior in high school, he went 13-14 on field goals and 35-35 on extra points. Castner will be in his fifth season at Clemson in 2024. He had appeared in two games thus far, recording a touchback on his first career kickoff as a true freshman against The Citadel in 2020 and converting his first career extra point try against Charleston Southern last season.
Castner is also a two-time ACC Honor Roll selection at Clemson and received a bioengineering degree from the university in May 2024.
Swinney said Oct. 19 that the accident was “disappointing” since Castner sustained a season-ending injury and will not be able to play for the football team again. However, he added the experienced kicker was “lucky” the mishap wasn’t worse. Castner had not played a game in 2024 and, along with fellow walk-on Hogan Morton, was seen as a deep reserve option behind starting kicker Nolan Hauser and top backup Robert Gunn III. “He’ll still be a part of our team, and we’re just glad he’s going to be okay,” Swinney said of Castner. “You know, broken bones will heal.” But we’re extremely fortunate that it wasn’t worse. So I’m glad he’s going to be okay, and “I know the team; everyone has wished him well.”
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