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From EMSNetwork News Your best source for EMS News. we . search . so . you . don't . have . to http://www.emsnetwork.org/ Obits/Services A veteran Madison firefighter and his wife died in a car crash in Indiana on Friday, according to the Madison Fire Department. Lt. K-Tal Johnson, 42, his wife, Shelly, 31, and their son Ian, 13, were traveling to see relatives in Fort Wayne, Ind., when their vehicle collided with a semitrailer around noon, according to Division Chief Mike Popovich. Indiana State Police said Johnson was driving east on Highway 30, about an hour west of Fort Wayne and did not notice the eastbound truck stopped at the intersection of highways 30 and 19. Johnson and his wife were killed after their vehicle crashed into the truck's trailer. Their son, a champion wrestler, suffered minor injuries and was released to his grandparents. The truck driver, Paul C. Cottle, 71, of St. Charles, Mich., was not injured. News of the tragedy stunned Johnson's coworkers, some of whom had been with him just hours before the accident. "It's a total shock," Lt. Joe Conway said. "We just saw him this (Friday) morning when he was leaving." Johnson and his wife lived in Milton, north of Janesville, where he had just finished building a home, Conway said. Johnson was an avid builder, roofer and hunter. "You couldn't find a more talented" and helpful person than Johnson, Conway said. "He was an excellent hunter," Conway said. "He was the type of guy that would help anybody, and then he'd go off and do his hunting and fishing trips." The Johnsons' new home included a trophy room already nicknamed the "pet cemetery" by K-Tal's colleagues. Johnson worked for the Janesville Fire Department before being hired by the Madison department in 1991, where he was a paramedic and rescue diver. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2003 and was in charge of the lake rescue team. "Everyday, Lt. Johnson put his life on the line as a firefighter to protect the lives, homes and businesses of Madisonians. On behalf of our community, I want to express my deepest sympathy to the families of K-Tal and Shelly, and especially to their son," said Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz in a statement. Family members are still making funeral arrangements and department crews plan to meet today to discuss a memorial, Conway said. "It's tough right now," Conway said. "He was a great guy and we all miss him." |