GRENVILLE — A mother has filed a lawsuit against Greenville County, alleging that emergency personnel took and circulated photos of her son's body following a fatal collision at Frankie's Fun Park.
Seventeen-year-old Kamel Seveion Sewell was killed in December 2022 after colliding with a forklift while testing the go-kart track at the amusement park, where he was employed, according to the Greenville County Sheriff's Office. Authorities classified the incident as an accident.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded to a 911 call shortly before noon. After Sewell succumbed to his injuries, his mother, Deldras Sewell, claims in her lawsuit that EMS workers took photos of his deceased body and shared them publicly.
At some point, Sewell became aware that the images were being circulated. As of September 8, court records indicate that Greenville County has not yet been served with the lawsuit. County spokesperson Bob Mihalic declined to comment on the matter.
In the aftermath of the alleged incident, the lawsuit states that four EMS employees were terminated, and three supervisors faced disciplinary action. The legal action seeks unspecified monetary and punitive damages, alleging the county failed to properly hire, retain, and train EMS staff.
The suit claims the county's actions inflicted severe emotional and psychological distress on Sewell, leading to medical expenses and trauma “no reasonable person could be expected to endure.” The lawsuit describes the county's conduct as “atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized community.”