Firefighter killed by big rig after stopping to help at scene of car wreck in Arkansas
_fitted.png "An Arkansas firefighter stopped to help at the scene of a car wreck and was hit and killed by an 18-wheeler, officials said.")
A firefighter in Arkansas was fatally hit by an 18-wheeler while assisting at the scene of a car wreck, according to the West Memphis Fire Department.
Jason Lang, who had joined the department in December, was on the way to an EMT training class in Pine Bluff on the morning of Saturday, Feb. 26, a department release said.
While making his way there, Lang came upon a traffic accident along the interstate and stopped to help. A passing big rig hit Lang, killing him, the release said.
“Jason Lang immediately, and without hesitation, bravely made the ultimate sacrifice, and he will always be remembered for his legacy and bravery for serving others,” WMFD Chief Barry Ealy said.
The release, which was shared on Facebook, has garnered over 1,700 comments as of the evening of Feb. 27, expressing condolences and promising prayers for Lang, his family and his department.
The department did not say how the big rig collided with Lang, and made no comment on the state of the truck driver.
Arkansas State Police are handling the investigation, an ASP spokesperson told McClatchy News. The spokesperson declined to comment further.
Lang “lost his life in the line of duty bravely doing his job and encountering the kind of dangers that our EMTs face every day along the interstate,” the West Memphis Fire Department statement said.
This story was originally published February 27, 2022 at 2:10 PM with the headline "Firefighter killed by big rig after stopping to help at scene of car wreck in Arkansas."