Columbus police officer, father killed by tree on Georgia golf course
Matthew Collins Jr. Courtesy of Columbus Police Department
MUSCOGEE COUNTY, Ga. - A fallen tree from the weekend's severe storms has left a father and son dead in West Georgia's Muscogee County.
Authorities say the deadly incident happened at the Bull Creek Golf Course in Midland, Georgia, on Sunday afternoon.
What we know:
Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan told WTVM that the victims have been identified as 58-year-old Matthew Terrell Collins Sr. and 29-year-old Matthew Terrell Collins Jr.
Authorities say the father and son were taking refuge from the storm in their golf cart around 6 p.m. when the tree toppled on top of them.
Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Columbus Police Department said that they will investigate the death, but believe the tree fell due to the weather. The Columbus Police Department also identified the younger man as one of their police officers.
What they're saying:
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp reacted to the news on the social media platform X, calling the deaths "tragic."
"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," Kemp wrote. "We ask that you join us in keeping their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers, along with all those responding to storm damage."
Dig deeper:
The tragedy were not the only deaths caused by fallen trees in Georgia over the weekend.
A day before, a tree fell at a campsite at Panther Creek Falls in the Cohutta Wilderness, trapping four campers.
Officials say the tree killed one camper and injured another. The identities of the victims have not been released.
The Source: Information for this story came from a report by WTVM, posts on X by Gov. Brian Kemp and the Columbus Police Department, and previous FOX 5 reporting.