The Virginian
WAYNESBORO, Va. — Timothy Kyle Southern lost his life 18 months ago doing what he loved, providing emergency service to someone in need.
The 21-year-old Southern was driving an elderly patient on Route 20 in Buckingham County in January 2012 for Priority Ambulance when his vehicle crossed the center line and collided with an oncoming cement truck. Both the patient and Southern died.
His Waynesboro family has mourned his death since, but this coming weekend, they will see his service remembered. Southern will become one of the National EMS Memorial Service honorees, joining more than 600 EMS workers who have died in the line of duty across America. The ceremony for this year’s honorees will take place in Colorado Springs, Co.
Becky Southern, Kyle’s mother, said it’s not clear why the ambulance her son was driving crossed the center line. There was no record of any cellphone service to indicate distracted driving.
Becky Southern and her husband are flying to Colorado for this weekend’s ceremony.
“He loved to donate time and help people,’' Becky Southern said. She said Kyle’s volunteer service with the Waynesboro First Aid Crew started at age 16. He graduated from Waynesboro High School and later went to work for Priority Ambulance. Even while at Priority Ambulance, Kyle continued to volunteer for the Waynesboro First Aid Crew.
His mother said Kyle “was very proud of what he did. He enjoyed his patients. And no matter how sick they were he was determined to make them laugh,’' Becky Southern said. “I still have stories of people who met him and stories about how he made them laugh.”
Robbi Blackburn, the secretary of the Waynesboro First Aid Crew and a veteran of more than 20 years with the organization, said Kyle “was a practical joker. I don’t think I ever saw him in a bad mood. He was just a good all-around person. He would have been a good EMT if he had been able to progress in his skills.” Blackburn said the First Aid Crew is providing a donation to help with the Southern family’s trip to Colorado.
Tawnya Silloway, the community liaison for the National EMS Memorial Service, said Southern’s family will receive a U.S. flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol, a medallion with the EMS memorial service symbol on one side and Southern’s name on the other, and a single long stem rose.
Silloway said those honored each year are the result of nominations by someone who knew about the crash they died in, a coworker or a family member. She said an on line nomination form is submitted and a board decides on the nomination.
“Some of them are pretty clearcut and sometimes it is not quite so clear,’' Silloway said.
Copyright 2013 The News Virginian
All Rights Reserved