By Cliff Pinckard
cleveland.com
WEST SALEM, Ohio — A Wayne County firefighter was killed when he was struck by a vehicle while attempting to help another driver whose pickup truck was stuck in a ditch, reports say.
The Town and Country Fire District announced the death of Lt. Paul Mickolick in a post on social media.
“Our department has suffered a tremendous loss,” Fire Chief Adam Hory said in a statement. “Lt. Mickolick was a mentor, a brother and a true hero. ”His passion for the fire service and his deep-rooted dedication to this community will never be forgotten.”
According to Plain Dealer/cleveland.com news partner WKYC Channel 3, the State Highway Patrol says Mickolick, 43, was helping a driver whose truck was stuck in a ditch at about 10:40 p.m. Friday. The truck became stuck while exiting a private field.
The patrol says Mickolick arrived at the scene in his personal vehicle and parked on side of the road. Moments later, a vehicle driven by a 64-year-old West Salem man went off the side of the road and hit Mickolick, the pickup truck and the truck’s driver, WKYC reports.
Mickolick was pronounced dead at the scene. The pickup driver was seriously injured and was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Akron, reports say.
The fire department says Mickolick previously had worked for 16 years as a flight paramedic for the Cleveland Clinic. He had worked for the fire department for 4½ years.
“His unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of others was evident in every aspect of his service,” the news release says. “... Lt. Mickolick exemplified courage, integrity and selflessness both on and off duty. One can only imagine the countless number of lives he has impacted through his dedicated service.”
The crash remains under investigation.
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