A Georgia father and son were killed when their golf cart was struck by a falling tree during a powerful rain storm.
The pair were taking shelter under a tree at the Bull Creek Golf Course in Columbus, about 107 miles south of Atlanta, when it snapped and fell on top of them Sunday evening.
Matthew Terrell Collins Sr., 58, and Matthew Terrell Collins Jr., 29, were pronounced dead at the scene around 6:06 p.m. The coroner’s office ruled the deaths accidental due to blunt force trauma.
Columbus Fire-EMS Chief Sal Scarpa told WSBTV the storm ripped through the area suddenly.
“Our thoughts are with the family members of the deceased,” Scarpa said. “This is a terrible storm that came through our community.”
Gov. Brian Kemp offered his condolences to the family on Sunday.
“Marty, the girls, and I are saddened by the tragic deaths of two Georgians in Muscogee County today as a result of the severe weather,” he wrote on Facebook. “We ask that you join us in keeping their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers, along with all those responding to storm damage.”
At least 23 people have died in the South and Midwest in a series of severe storms since last Wednesday. Officials have recorded dozens of tornadoes and increased flooding in 10 states.
