Published: May 12, 2008 12:11 pm            

Laurel teen dies after fall from cliff

North Laurel senior allegedly ran from police and over cliff

By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor

An East Bernstadt teen died early Saturday morning after falling over a cliff while allegedly running away from police.

Laurel County Coroner Doug Bowling said Terry Austin Cromer, 19, died after falling about 20 feet from a cliff located off U.S. 25 about seven miles north of London.

Laurel County Sheriff Fred Yaden called Cromer’s death “an unfortunate thing,” and said it was still unclear why Cromer and at least two other young men ran from police.

“The State Police had made a traffic stop on north U.S. 25 just past Hall’s Auto Salvage,” Yaden said.

While at the traffic stop at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, another vehicle came up a back road toward U.S. 25, stopped, and turned back the other way. The officers followed the vehicle “just to see what was going on,” Yaden said.

When officers came upon the vehicle, “the people that were in the truck scattered, and one of them fell over a cliff,” Yaden said. “The police weren’t chasing them. They just ran off.”

At least three men jumped out of the truck, but even though officers questioned the surviving two, Yaden said police aren’t sure why they ran. He said there was no indication of any alcohol or illegal activity, and neither of the two men have been charged with any crime.

Earlier that night, Cromer had fought in the Friday Night Cage Fight in Pittsburg Park. Fight organizer Jerry Burns had known Cromer for about two and a half years and said Cromer was a senior at North Laurel High School.

“He was a good kid,” Burns said, “a very respectful kid, very polite... I just think he might have been with a bad crowd.”

Burns said Cromer won his fight Friday, and had a 3-2 winning record with Burns’ organization.

“He beat the guy pretty quick (Friday) and it was a good fight,” he said.

Yaden said preliminary reports suggest Cromer died after breaking his neck in the fall.

The Major Crimes Task Force is investigating the incident, with Charlie Loomis of the Laurel County Sheriff’s Department as lead investigator.

        

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