A television anchor and a photojournalist for a broadcast news station in South Carolina died Monday after a tree fell and crushed their sport utility vehicle while they were out covering the severe weather generated by Subtropical Storm Alberto, the authorities and station officials said.

The anchor, Mike McCormick, and the photojournalist, Aaron Smeltzer, worked for WYFF News 4 based in Greenville, S.C., and were about 30 miles north of there in North Carolina on Monday afternoon when the authorities say the tree struck their S.U.V. as they drove along Highway 176.

When fire personnel arrived around 2:30 p.m., they found the S.U.V. in drive with the engine running, Chief Geoffrey Tennant of the Fire Department in Tryon, N.C., told local news media.

Chief Tennant said that Mr. McCormick had interviewed him just 10 minutes before the department got a call about the accident.