NC teen seriously injured by felled tree during Hurricane Florence

LAURINBURG, N.C. (WPDE) - A North Carolina teenager was seriously injured Friday when a tree fell on him during Hurricane Florence, according to Laurinburg Police Chief Darwin Williams.

Jadon Olsen's mother, Elaine Killian Olsen, said in a Facebook post late Friday that as she was following an ambulance, she had "no idea the current condition of my son. None. But I know he is loved and being prayed over."

According to a Facebook post by Scotland Christian Academy, Jadon is a senior and student body president at the school, where his mother is a fourth-grade teacher. The post says Jadon's father, Billy Olsen, was also injured by the tree. The message reads, in part:

"Billy and Jadon were injured this afternoon when a tree limb fell on them. Jadon is currently in critical condition awaiting transport to Charlotte with a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain. Please add this family to your prayer list as we join together in praying for those in our communities. God Bless!!!"

WPDE reporter Tonya Brown says father and son were removing debris from a road when they were injured.

Elaine Killian Olsen said on Facebook that her husband had "12 staples in his head."

On Saturday morning, she posted a Facebook update saying her son was out of surgery and running a fever. She added:

"He is a strong young man with a strong heart. Our hearts are broken. Just broken. We believe that your many prayers have gotten Jadon this far. We cannot thank you enough for standing in the gap for us."

According to SCA's Facebook post, Billy Olsen is the pastor at Saint Luke United Methodist Church in Laurinburg.

Church member Alicia Miller-Krout spoke with WPDE on the phone Saturday.

"They were over checking on the church; they don't live very far from the church at all," Miller-Krout said. "The tree was down, they got out of their car, just trying to be good citizens and clear all the debris away so people could pass, and the tree came down and hit them both."

The Saint Luke website says the Rev. Billy Olsen and his wife, a cancer survivor, have four children.