Man killed by tree in Atlanta's Grove Park neighborhood
A fallen tree killed a man in the Grove Park neighborhood of Atlanta on Feb. 16, 2025.
ATLANTA - A man was killed in Atlanta when a massive tree fell onto a home in the Grove Park neighborhood during a storm early Sunday morning.
RELATED: Severe wind, storm kills man, snaps trees, crushes homes across Georgia
What we know:
The tree fell at around 4 a.m. on Matilda Place, where heavy winds caused it to snap in half and crash onto the house, according to Atlanta fire officials. Several people were inside the home at the time, but 61-year-old Edward Johnson was the only fatality.
His neighbors remember him as a pleasant and friendly presence in his community.
What they're saying:
"He was always very kind, always spoke, always had a smile or a chuckle," said resident Vivian Williams.
WIlliams said she's still trying to wrap her head around the freak accident that claimed her neighbor's life.
"You would've thought it was a tornado coming through," she said. "It’s traumatic … We had a tree fall on our house back in Mississippi, but there wasn’t damage and nobody got hurt, and we were traumatized just because it happened. This is beyond. It’s just beyond."
The family of Edward Johnson has started an online fundraiser to assist with expenses.
The Source: FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Joi Dukes interviewed Edward Johnson's neighbors for details in this story. The incident was reported by Atlanta Fire and Rescue.