2 Best Friends Die After Tree Crashes onto Pickup Truck in ‘Freak Accident’

Published
June 22, 2026
Outcome
Fatal
Location
Middle Georgia, Georgia
Pea Ridge Road near Highway 441
View on map
Incident type
Crash, Fall

Summary

Car Crash Middle Georgia Georgia in Middle Georgia, Georgia: Two best friends, 24-year-old Logan Christopher Deal and 25-year-old Jakob Hogan Tapley of Ellabell, Ga., died after a massive oak tree uprooted and fell onto the cab of a pickup truck they were riding in along Pea Ridge Road near Highway 441 in Putnam County, Middle Georgia, on Friday, June 19, following days of severe rain. The two men in the backseat were killed instantly and pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and front-seat passenger were transported to a hospital in Macon with injuries. Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills called it a 'freak accident result of nature,' noting the oak tree was healthy but had shallow roots.

Publicly reported parties

Name Role Status
Logan Christopher Deal Unknown Fatal
Jakob Hogan Tapley Unknown Fatal

Original reporting

2 Best Friends Die After Tree Crashes onto Pickup Truck in ‘Freak Accident’

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