A military-civilian plane crash Tuesday that killed two men was the second tragedy to devastate a South Carolina family in a week’s time.
Joseph Johnson, 30, and Michael Johnson, 68, were killed when their Cessna plane collided with an Air Force F-16 fighter jet on
Tuesday, USA Today reported. The pilot of the F-16 ejected safely.
Johnson’s family already faced a tragedy that occurred just four days before plane crash. James and Beverly Johnson, brother and sister-in-law of Michael Johnson, were found dead in their Missouri home, and their 16-year-old grandson is accused of their murders, the newspaper reported.
"Right now I'm at a loss for words," Connie Stallworth, the sister of James and Michael Johnson, told USA Today. "I'm in denial right now. It just can't be true."
Michael Johnson’s body was recovered after the plane crash, but Joseph Johnson’s was not recovered until
Wednesday, the Post and Courier reported.
Friends
told ABC 4 that Joseph Johnson, a former professional baseball player for the Atlanta Braves' minor league team, had become enthralled with flying recently and wanted to be a commercial pilot. He loved baseball in the same way.
"He signed a Division I scholarship and without his injury, would've played Major League Baseball," his high school baseball coach Landy Cox told ABC 4. "He was a tremendous athlete. Everything he did, Joe was successful. What stands out the most was the smile from ear to ear. He enjoyed being around people. When you walked away from Joe, you had a warm feeling. His presence made you feel better.”
The second Johnson tragedy has been widely reported in the Midwest,
and KCTV 5 said the 16-year-old accused of second-degree murder had reportedly been acting strangely.
James and Beverly Johnson were found dead in a field near their home outside of St. Joseph, Missouri. Their grandson, who was not identified, had been stopped for a traffic violation, KCTV 5 said. When police asked him to call an adult, the person he called told police the teenager had just sent him a text message that he had killed his grandparents.
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