By Adele Uphaus–Conner
The Free Lance-Star
CAROLINE COUNTY, Va. — A Caroline County firefighter and medic has died following an off-duty car crash last week.
Brent Johnson had been employed by Caroline County Fire and Rescue for just under a year, Fire Chief Jason Loftus said. He was posted with Co. 5, the Frog Level Volunteer Fire Department.
Before working for Caroline, Johnson was with Henrico County Division of Fire for 16 years. He started his career in public service as a volunteer firefighter/medic in Chesterfield County.
The crash was a “single-vehicle accident into a tree,” Loftus said.
Johnson died Sunday at VCU Medical Center, where he’d been on life support for three days.
He had no family in Caroline, Loftus said. His parents, Jerry and Kris Johnson, live in Midlothian.
“He was extremely experienced, a good personality, very helpful and truly loved by the fire service,” Loftus said. “We were glad to have him in Caroline, even though for a fairly short time. He brought a lot of depth of experience to the department.”
At the county’s Memorial Day ceremony in Bowling Green on Monday, Board of Supervisors Chair Jeffrey Black asked for a moment of silence for Johnson and Virginia State Police Special Agent Michael Walter, who was fatally shot in the line of duty in Richmond on Friday night.
“It was a tragic loss for us,” Loftus said of Johnson. “Anytime a fireman dies in the line of duty or off duty ... it’s like a brotherhood because we work so closely together. When you spend 24 hours together, you develop very close friendships very quickly.”
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