SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The partner of an Atlanta city worker killed when a tree fell on her work SUV says she spoke about what a great day she was having right before she died.
The two were on the phone during the accident.
Atlanta Watershed Management worker Aquarius Johnson, who went by AJ, and Carla Garmon had been together nearly seven years.
Garmon told Channel 2's Tom Jones that she is bothered they never married or wrote out a will. She said she never expected the fate that the woman she called her best friend.
"She loved her job. She used to tell me every day, ‘Carla, I love this job. I'm very grateful for this job," Garmon said.
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Johnson absolutely loved working in the city of Atlanta's watershed protection department, even though she had only been there about a year and a half.
Johnson was headed to an inspection site Thursday just after noon. Garmon was on the phone with her.
"We were just talking about her day and how good it was," Garmon said.
Then the phone went silent.
"I just kind of heard the static but I didn't know; like I just thought maybe just the phone disconnected," Garmon said.
She told Jones that she tried to call back but got no answer.
Four hours later, she got the awful news.
"You get a call and your whole life changes," Garmon said.
Police told her a massive tree landed on Johnson's work SUV as she traveled on Mount Paran Road. It trapped her inside. Johnson died of her injuries.
"I never in a million years expected this," Garmon said.
Garmon said she and Johnson weren't married. They'd been together almost seven years and they didn't have a will, even though they discussed it recently.
"I'll tell anybody: Get a will. I don't care how young you are, thinking you got forever, just get a will," Garmon said.
She said Johnson loved the environment, loved trees.
"And a tree hit her. Like, this doesn't happen," Garmon said.
Watershed Management Commissioner Kishia Powell issued a statement that reads in part:
"AJ died in the line of duty, protecting our watersheds. We remain grateful for her service on behalf of the department and the city of Atlanta."
Cox Media Group
