By Sherri Drake
The Commercial Appeal
Copyright 2008 The Commercial Appeal, Inc.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An off-duty Tipton County paramedic killed in a traffic crash Tuesday night in Memphis was remembered as “kind and caring” by colleagues Wednesday.
Daron Juan Greenway, 42, of Memphis, worked as a paramedic for Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton for 3 1/2 years. On Wednesday, co-workers mourned the man they say always went above and beyond.
“He was always very kind to patients’ families,” said hospital administrator Paul Betz.
The hospital runs its own ambulance service and has about 30 employees at three locations.
“It’s certainly a somber mood today,” Betz said. “Very tragic.”
Shortly before 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Midtown Memphis, the driver of a stolen Honda Accord headed west on Walker, ran a stop sign at McLean and hit a 2002 Dodge Durango, headed north on McLean, driven by Greenway.
The Durango rolled over, hit a curb and landed on a chain-link fence, said Memphis Police spokeswoman Monique Martin. Greenway died there.
The driver of the Accord was taken to the Regional Medical Center at Memphis in extremely critical condition and died there at about 1 a.m. Wednesday. Police officials did not release his identity later Wednesday.
Shortly before the crash, a Memphis patrol officer noticed the stolen 1991 Honda Accord with an expired license plate driving near Lamar and Carnes and attempted to pull the driver over at McLemore and Rembert. A passenger jumped out of the car and ran, Martin said.
The driver of the Accord sped off and the officer attempted to catch up with the car, Martin said. When the officer reached McLean and Walker, the crash had already happened.
The Accord was reported stolen from the 1200 block of Howell at about 1 p.m. Tuesday. The vehicle’s owner said she’d left the car running in her driveway to heat it up and saw a man get in the car and drive away.
Memphis Funeral Home Poplar has charge of services for Greenway. Arrangements were incomplete Wednesday.