Family, friends of Florence man killed in storm-related death express their grief

LEXINGTON, Ala. (WAFF) - A Lexington community is grieving the loss of a man killed in a freak accident.

43-year-old Dustin Pettus died Friday morning when a tree fell over and hit him in the head.

Reese Pettus, Dustin’s daughter, said her father meant everything to her, and that he touched the hearts of everyone he encountered. She said she was heartbroken and is still having trouble trying to process the tragedy.

“I didn’t cry because it’s something you don’t believe,” said Reese, “It’s like, it really just hits you when you go to the scene. Or you realize you’re not going to see them.”

When first responders arrived on the scene, they found Dustin already dead from his injuries. A witness on the scene says the tree barely missed hitting another person. Reese said her father was larger than life, which is making the healing process extremely difficult.

“He had like, certain aspects to him where you knew it was Dustin Pettus. You knew it was him,” said Reese.

Reese said her father was kind-hearted, caring, and always putting her and her brother Ethan first.

Neely Parker and Glenda Grisham, close friends of Dustin for nearly 15 years, said he brought pure joy into the world and would give the shirt off his back to anyone who needed it.

“He was a very good person. He didn’t judge you. He’d take you as you were. He’s going to be greatly missed,” said Parker.

Grisham said, “I loved him like my own and he was the best boy I’d ever known to be. He was good to me, never said a harsh word to me and always stood up for me. I loved that boy like he was my own. I will miss him every day.”

Reese said Dustin loved sports and supporting his children and because of that, she’ll always have him by her side.

“I’m really just glad to know that I still have him with me,” said Reese, “Just like, through me. Because I can talk to somebody and they’ll tell me that I remind them of him. It’s good to have that.”

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