Last month, a Clemson football player was riding his electric scooter on campus when he waited for all vehicles to safely clear a four-way intersection near Memorial Stadium before proceeding. However, another Clemson student, who was later cited for running a stop sign, claimed he “did not see” Tigers backup kicker Quinn Castner as he entered the intersection and struck Castner with his truck, reportedly causing a broken leg.
This information comes from a police report obtained by The State through a public records request, which provided additional details about the incident on October 17. TigerNet.com was the first to report the accident, which took place just two days before Clemson’s October 19 home game against Virginia. Following the game, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney stated that Castner, a fifth-year senior who joined the team in 2020, was “doing good” two days after the crash.
TigerNet also reported that Castner suffered a compound fracture (a break in the bone that’s visible through the skin) in his lower right leg during the incident. He underwent successful surgery to repair the fracture and was reportedly “resting comfortably” that evening. “Very, very fortunate that it wasn’t worse,” Swinney said on October 19.
Police report details incident
According to a Clemson University Police Department (CUPD) incident report obtained by The State, an officer responded to a motor vehicle accident with injuries at the intersection of Williamson Road and South Palmetto Boulevard on the morning of October 17. The four-way intersection, located about a block from Clemson’s football stadium and running parallel to the university’s Woodland Cemetery, was the site of the incident.
CUPD officer Dawson Cress arrived at 9:26 a.m. and found 22-year-old Quinn Castner “lying in the middle of the intersection on his back,” with a male individual “applying pressure to Castner’s right leg with what appeared to be a bandage.” Castner was described as “coherent” and able to respond to the officer’s questions about the incident.
According to the report, Castner explained that he had been riding his electric scooter on campus and had approached the stop sign at the intersection. After waiting for other vehicles to safely clear the intersection, he entered it and was subsequently hit by a truck. The truck driver, also a Clemson student, stayed at the scene to assist Castner. The driver, whose name was redacted from the report, told officers that he “did not see Castner” as he entered the intersection and struck him with the front of his truck.
Castner was transported to Oconee Memorial Hospital for treatment of his injuries. The driver of the truck was not arrested but was issued a citation for disregarding a stop sign. After the citation was issued, the driver was released from the scene by the officer. The CUPD later obtained video footage of the incident, which confirmed the driver’s failure to stop and the collision with Castner. The case was marked as “administratively closed” later that afternoon, though specific details regarding Castner’s injuries were redacted from the report.
Quinn Castner’s Clemson career
Quinn Castner initially joined Clemson as a walk-on in 2020 after earning a letter in football at Nation Ford High School in Fort Mill, South Carolina. In high school, he was 13-of-14 on field goals and perfect on extra points, going 35-for-35 in his senior season. The 2024 season marks Castner’s fifth year with the Clemson program.
To date, he has appeared in two games: he recorded a touchback on his first career kickoff as a true freshman in 2020 against The Citadel and converted his first career extra point against Charleston Southern last year. Castner has also been named to the ACC Honor Roll twice and graduated with a degree in bioengineering in May 2024.
Following the accident, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said on October 19 that it was “disappointing” because Castner’s injury would end his season, preventing him from playing for the team again. However, Swinney also noted that Castner was “lucky” the injury wasn’t worse. Castner had not yet appeared in a game during the 2024 season and, along with fellow walk-on Hogan Morton, was considered a deep reserve behind starting kicker Nolan Hauser and top backup Robert Gunn III, both of whom are on scholarship.
“He’ll still be part of our team,” Swinney said. “I’m just thankful he’s going to be OK. Broken bones heal up. But very, very fortunate it wasn’t worse. I’m happy he’s going to be OK, and I know the whole team has reached out to wish him well.”
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