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yesterday

GBI Continues Probe Into Lightning Deaths of Two Georgia Graduates as Donations Exceed $17,000

Autopsies are pending at the state medical examiner’s office with residents having raised more than $17,000 for funeral and memorial costs.

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Overview

  • The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is leading an ongoing inquiry and has scheduled autopsies in Pooler to confirm the manner of the teens’ deaths.
  • Joey Nelson Jr., 18, and Randall Martin III, 19, both recent Ware County High School graduates, were fatally struck while returning to their car near a pond in Waresboro during a severe thunderstorm on July 10.
  • Family members discovered the unresponsive teens shortly after 10 p.m. and emergency responders pronounced them dead at the scene following a 10:16 p.m. 911 call.
  • GoFundMe campaigns for the victims have collectively topped $17,000, with proceeds designated for funeral services and memorial arrangements.
  • According to the National Lightning Safety Council, these fatalities mark the eighth and ninth lightning deaths nationwide this year and underscore guidelines to seek indoor shelter and avoid water and metal objects during intense storms.