A Mayview, Missouri firefighter has died in the line of duty and another is fighting for his life at Research Medical Center in Kansas City after a crash Monday afternoon.
Jeffrey Sanders, 55, was killed while responding to a fire on Highway E, about 45 miles east of Kansas City.
Jacob Hayward, 33, is in critical condition after he was flown to Kansas City
Jacob Hayward was critically injured after his fire truck was struck by a vehicle.
Both Sanders and Hayward were responding to a fire. Their fire truck was pulled off to the side of the road with another vehicle.
A third driver ran into the parked vehicles, pushing them down an embankment and trapping Hayward and Sanders.
The small town of Mayview is devastated after the loss of one of their own.
People of Mayview say Sanders was a pillar in their community.
In a town with only two hundred people, no one is a stranger. “Everybody knows everybody, “said Bryce Neher, a friend of Sanders.
Neher says everybody knew Sanders especially well, “Yea I just bailed hay for him the other day.”
"He’d do anything for anybody,” said John Vahrenberg, board member of Mayview Fire Protection District, "He loved the town and loved the fire department. He was just a great guy."
Sanders was a full-time farmer and a beloved grandfather. Hayward is at the hospital with critical injuries, his community is praying for his recovery.
“He went to school with my son,” said Neher, “We’re all praying for them. He’s got three young kids.”
The driver who hit the truck is also from Mayview. The crash is still under investigation and no charges have been filed.
Mayview and neighboring fire districts are meeting at the community center in Mayview to discuss what happened and remember their good friend and colleague.
Fire departments are posting on social media, asking for prayers for the firefighters and their families.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, 69 firefighters were killed in the line of duty last year. 3 percent of those deaths were from being struck by a vehicle.
