A Florida fire chief and public safety director was killed in a crash while driving home from a public meeting Tuesday night.
Suwannee County Fire Chief/Public Safety Director James E. Sommers, 40, was headed to his Lake City home on his motorcycle following a Suwannee County Commission meeting when he was hit by an SUV, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. He was taken to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The SUV's 19-year-old driver and a passenger were not hurt in the accident, the Suwannee Democrat reports. Charges in the incident are pending an investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Sommers had been with Suwannee County Fire Rescue since 2001, according to the Democrat. He was named interim fire chief in May 2012, and he became public safety director in November of that year.
"James E. Sommers, a firefighter for 19 years, was respected by all who knew him," a post on Suwannee County Fire Rescue's Facebook page stated.
"All of us are deeply saddened by his untimely death. Our condolences go out to his family, friends and department family," the post added.
