Mail carrier killed in freak accident in Habersham County

HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. - Friends and family are mourning the sudden death of a rural postal carrier in Habersham County who died in what's being described as a freak accident.

Nikki Cole Hunt, 36, was killed in the middle of a downpour Monday afternoon while delivering the mail.

James May, who lives nearby, was among the first on the scene on Buckhorn Road.

"The vehicle was here and the tree came all the way across the road right here and the vehicle was right here and it hit center," said May as he pointed to the single tree which fell on top of the Honda SUV driven by Hunt.

May and his wife were headed home when they came across the SUV around 1 p.m. A tree had crushed it. Hunt, who was in the driver’s seat, was killed instantly, according to Habersham County authorities.

May said he and a woman came on the horrific scene first. Both were powerless to do anything to save Hunt.

"The paramedics showed up and they said it was an act of God. The way it happened, the timing. The tree fell exactly in the center of the vehicle and the driver was deceased of course," said May.

The Habersham County Fire Department said Hunt was headed northbound on Buckhorn Road at the height of Monday's storm in pouring rain and heavy winds when the tree fell on her vehicle.

Linda Klumpp said she last saw Hunt Monday afternoon when she delivered mail to her home a short time before tragedy struck.

"I wished now I would have run out and stopped her and said here can you take this letter for me you know? Maybe she'd still be here. She was very nice. I don't think she'd been delivering our mail that long I think it was only like three and a half months," said Klumpp.

FOX 5 News reached out to Hunt's family who said they were too distraught to speak publicly after their sudden loss.

Klumpp, May and others said Hunt was a mother of three.

"She has two children and one in college from what I heard so we're praying for her children," said May.

"I think it's devastating. I keep thinking about her family. All we can do is pray for them, that's all we can do," said Klumpp.

The funeral home handling her services said the funeral for Hunt is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Mt. Airy.