Tragedy struck twice in Summerville last weekend when, in unrelated incidents, a 37-year-old father of three died in a fiery collision and a toddler drowned in a backyard pool.
Calvin M. Pringle was southbound on Orangeburg Road about 1 a.m.
Sunday when he lost control of his 1980s model Lincoln Continental while going around a curve and hit a tree, Dorchester County Coroner Chris Nisbet said.
The car caught fire on impact and burned about 200 feet north of the intersection of Orangeburg Road and Greenwave Boulevard — a mile or two from Pringle’s home, Nisbet said.
Pringle’s cause of death was unknown as press time. Pending toxicology tests will determine whether he was killed by the crash or the fire, Nisbet said.
Seventeen-month-old Brayden Zieg drowned Friday night in a pool at his family’s Lipman Street home, Nisbet said.
Nisbet said the boy was blue in color and floating facedown in the water when his father Jacob Zieg, who had been alerted to the situation by his 4-year-old son, discovered him.
Jacob removed Brayden from the water and cleared his airway, Nisbet said. He tried to hold Brayden up to get the water out and then went inside to call 911, he said.
A dispatcher instructed Jacob on how to perform CPR until first responders could arrive, Nisbet said.
It was too late, however. Brayden was pronounced dead at 6 p.m. His cause of death was asphyxia due to drowning, Nisbet said.

Contact David Berman at 873-9424 ext. 214 or dberman@journalscene.com.