What happened to Allen Ray McGrew? Summerville man allegedly killed in 4th of July fireworks accident

A South Carolina man named Allen Ray McGrew tragically lost his life on Thursday, July 4, after a stunt with fireworks went wrong. The Summerville native placed a lit firework on top of his top hat which went off, resulting in fatal head injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A video later went viral, showcasing McGrew having a good time before his death. McGrew was sporting a red, white, and blue Uncle Sam suit, complete with a beard and a top hat. In the video, he danced around and threw gun fingers while smoking a lit cigarette under the influence of alcohol.

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"He was living his best life last night" - Allen Ray McGrew's wife Paige on her late husband

A video from the Independence Day block party at Cottonwood Drive showed Summerville native Allen Ray McGrew in high spirits as he danced around his yard in a full Uncle Sam-themed costume as smoke from mortars filled up his background. The HVAC worker was surrounded by his friends and family. One person could be heard saying:

"He’s dancing to his own tune."

Sadly, the video of the 41-year-old happily trotting around with a cigarette in his mouth was taken mere moments before he lost his life. Later, Allen Ray McGrew would place a lit firework on top of his star-spangled Uncle Sam top hat, and disaster followed as it exploded, causing fatal injuries to his head.

As per the Dorchester County sheriff's department, deputies arrived to find the man already dead, lying on the road. Allen had only gotten married about a year prior to his death. As per Post and Courier, Paige recalled the traumatic incident to deputies.

According to Paige, Allen had been drinking for quite a few hours in the evening. Paige initially did not take it seriously when Allen placed the fireworks over his top hat. She told deputies:

"I thought he was just showboating before he set it on the ground. I didn’t realize he had already lit it."

Just as Paige started telling Allen to stop, the firework exploded. The 41-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:10 pm on Independence Day.

According to Paige, Allen "loved" celebrating the Fourth of July, but this year he was also celebrating another major milestone, his 20-year-old son Hunter's engagement. Paige told Post and Courier:

"He was a patriot; he was proud of his son and he was excited to have a new daughter-in-law. He was living his best life last night."

The grieving widow recalled how Allen excitedly came to her office to show off his costume for the first time. He made her laugh "so hard" when she was on call with a client. Paige called her late husband a "genuine, good person" and stated that he "loved life".

Addressing the involvement of alcohol in the tragedy, Paige McGrew revealed that Allen Ray McGrew was not a regular drinker but simply wanted to go all-out in celebrating his son's upcoming wedding and the Fourth of July. He even planned to stop drinking for a while.

Allen's son Hunter told the New York Post that the family was left "traumatized" from the incident. 53-year-old Paige further recalled a sweet moment Allen shared with her and his son, a few moments before the incident:

"Just before the incident happened, he hugged me and his son and said ‘You are my rock, and you are my heart."

All of Allen Ray McGrew's neighbors had great opinions of the man, who used to mow the lawns of five of his neighbors. An Army military intelligence veteran neighbor told the Post and Courier that Allen Ray McGrew was "the nicest guy" and the kind of person you'd want for a neighbor.