Thursday, July 5, 2012

** Virginia EMT dies during windstorm response;memorial service set for Saturday

** Arizona EMT removed from life support after hit and run;police still searching for suspect

UNITED STATES NEWS

** A memorial service is set for Saturday for a Rocky Mount, Virginia EMT who died last week after a tree hit him while responding to an emergency call. The Smith Mountain Eagle (July 3) said the commemoration for John Echternach Jr., 54, will take place at the Franklin Heights Baptist Church Sanctuary at 10 a.m. Echternach was critically injured last Friday after pulling over to help a motorist whose car had been crushed by a falling tree branch. While working during the storm, a gust of wind brought down another branch on top of Echternach. Transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, he died Monday. He leaves a wife and two grown children behind.

** Police in Tucson, Arizona continue to search for a hit-and-run driver responsible for the death of a Nogales EMT/firefighter. KVOA (June 30) said current information indicates the suspect was driving an orange truck which flashed its lights to get Sterling Lytle’s vehicle to pull to the side of the road around 2 a.m. According to the news site, when Lytle alighted from his car, the truck hit him and fled. Lytle was removed from life support late last week. An EMT with the Nogales Fire Department, Lytle was also an EMT instructor at Pima Community College. A vigil on his behalf will be held this Saturday at Tucson Fire Central Downtown. Police, meanwhile, are searching for a Hispanic man in connection with the incident.