Two men have died of injuries they suffered when their car crashed into a tree Saturday morning in the parking lot of Augusta Sportswear in Martinez, according to a Columbia County sheriff's official.
Matthew Hodges, 25, of Louisville Road, Grovetown, and Bobby Phillips, 25, of the 3400 block of Mike Padgett Highway were pronounced dead by the Columbia County Coroner's Office on Sunday, said Staff Sgt. Tim Perry, of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
Mr. Hodges was the driver of the gold, late-model Acura that skidded out of control at about 8 a.m. in a curve on Park West Drive, striking a tree in a parking lot along the road. The car went airborne, police said, and the rear end of the car struck a second tree while in the air.
Neither victim was wearing a seat belt, and both were ejected from the vehicle, Staff Sgt. Perry said.
"Speed appears to be a contributor to the accident, in addition to a light rain that may have caused slick road conditions," he said.
Both men were taken to Medical College of Georgia Hospital after the accident.
Reach Timothy Cox at (706) 823-3217 or tim.cox@augustachronicle.com.
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