A Tuesday morning crash at 13 Mile Road and Courtland Drive claimed the lives of two people, including Sam Deems, a paramedic supervisor and deputy fire chief.
Deems, who served with the Casnovia Fire Department and worked as a paramedic supervisor for Rockford Ambulance, was on his way to work when the two-vehicle accident occurred. Police said Deems' truck caught fire, and he died at the scene. The other driver, 72-year-old Diane Brady, was transported to a hospital where she later died from her injuries.
"[He] had a servant attitude, servant heart, just loved to help people," said Morgan Deems, Sam's wife.
Sam Deems began his firefighting career in high school, joining the Casnovia Fire Department when his father was the fire chief.
"Our dad was a lifetime firefighter, and then my brother and I kind of grew up into that, and he took it a little bit further, and he actually wanted to do it, just like my dad did," said Noah Deems, Sam's twin brother.
During his time with the department, Sam rose to the position of deputy fire chief.
"He just loved it, and he took it to heart every time he went on a call," Noah said.
Deems later became an EMT for Rockford Ambulance before advancing to a paramedic supervisor.
"He loved being an EMT, but he wanted to do more for people, and you can do a little bit more as a paramedic versus an EMT. And he wanted the challenge," Morgan said.
The Kent County Sheriff's Office reports that the accident remains under investigation.
The Casnovia Township Fire Department released a statement on Facebook praising Deems: "Sam was a firefighter like no other. He served with passion, heart, and an unwavering commitment to this community. He had a deep love for saving lives and making a difference wherever he could."
Rockford Ambulance CEO Tim Armstrong said, "We lost a valuable member of the community, friend, and family member who has always put others above himself while serving in his communities."
The family says they're taking things "day by day" and have been moved by the community's response.
"We talked the other day about what life would look like without one another and didn't expect that it would happen. I knew Sam impacted the community, but this is way more than what I ever would have expected," Morgan said.
Sam Deems' family will host a visitation for Sam at Ravenna Baptist Church on Monday, June 30th, from 5-7 p.m. Sam's Funeral will be Tuesday, July 1st, at the same location at 11 am with a visitation at 10 am.
If you would like to donate to the family to help with expenses, please click here.
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