In northeast Tallahassee, a married couple, Patti Haller, 63, and her husband, Steve Haller, 65, were killed when a large tree toppled onto their car during a sudden evening thunderstorm on July 10. The crash happened around 5:17 p.m. in the Foxcroft neighborhood on Barclay Lane near Godfrey Place. First responders tried to save them at the scene, but both were pronounced dead. After the storm blew through, neighbors described yards strewn with limbs and a patchwork of power outages across the area.
According to WCTV, the Tallahassee Police Department reported that a large tree fell directly onto the front-seat area of the Hallers’ vehicle as it traveled south on Barclay Lane. The Tallahassee Fire Department rendered aid on scene, but both occupants were pronounced deceased. Police and work crews shut down the roadway while investigators documented the crash and a tree-removal company cleared the massive debris. Drivers were urged to steer clear of the neighborhood while crews worked around downed limbs and storm damage.
Family Remembers Them as ‘True Soulmates’
The couple were later identified by family members and in online notices as Patti and Steve Haller, who married in 1990 and were remembered by loved ones as “true soulmates,” according to Cleveland.com and the family’s obituary. Their memorial page lists survivors including Kristen and Ryan Silverman and Kevin Haller, and notes that the Hallers treasured time with their granddaughter Amelia. The online tribute on EverLoved shows that more than $24,000 had been raised to support the family.
Storms, Warnings and Local Damage
Forecasters had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Tallahassee area as the line of storms moved in, with the National Weather Service warning of gusts up to 60 mph and describing the event as a downburst, according to the NWS Tallahassee. Reporting by the Tallahassee Democrat noted that city utility maps and municipal updates showed thousands of customers losing power as crews responded to broken poles and widespread tree damage across northeast Tallahassee. National Weather Service observations at Tallahassee International Airport recorded a peak gust of 43 mph during the event, and officials said higher gusts were likely in the neighborhoods that were hit hardest.
Services and How to Help
The family has scheduled a joint funeral service for August 1 at Bevis Funeral Home, with a celebration of life to follow at Amicus Brewing. Funeral notices say the family is requesting donations instead of flowers, according to the listing on Legacy.com. The memorial page on EverLoved shares details on how to contribute and is helping cover service costs and other unexpected expenses.
Tallahassee Police are treating the crash as a weather-related fatality and have asked anyone with video or information from the Foxcroft neighborhood on the evening of July 10 to contact investigators, according to WCTV. The couple’s names and funeral plans were released in the days following the crash when the family posted an obituary and created an online memorial, according to Cleveland.com. With storm season underway, officials and forecasters are reminding residents to avoid driving beneath large trees in high winds and to report hazardous trees to property managers or city crews before the next round of storms moves in.
