BLUE SUMMIT, Mo — Everett Carter worked many storms and plowed the streets of parts of eastern Jackson County for years.
Blue Summit, a small town nestled between Kansas City and Independence, knew him well.
When they called him for a neighborhood clean up or neighbor who needed assistance — Carter was there.
"I've been up for 36 hours going out and getting ambulances unstuck trying to get to people who need help," Inter City Fire Protection District Chief Jeff Jewell said. "That's what he lived for."
Carter made their streets feel safer.
Jewell and public works employees took a pause after his death on Sunday.
After 40 years of service to Jackson County, including eight years in the public works department, he was killed serving the community.
While working a call during the storm, Carter exited his dump truck. It struck and killed him.
Jewell said he tried to get out of the way before it was too late.
"We haven’t had anything of this magnitude in years so it’s a stern reminder for us that do this — whether you’re a nurse or EMS, fire, tow truck drivers, plow truck drivers, these things are always dangerous," he said.
The chief knew Carter for years.
"He was a character and liked to joke back and forth," Jewell said. "Just all around good guy — not just here but off the job as well."
Carter was likely working his last storm. At 61 years old, he was a couple of weeks from retirement.
He had a fiancée and three kids.
"It was tough. Totally unexpected. We’ve worked hand in hand over the years for storms and stuff like this so everybody is pretty close and it was devastating," Jewell said.
When some of eastern Jackson county wakes up with a plowed street, it's a reminder of the Carters in the community doing a job that can go unnoticed and sometimes come at a cost.
"There's a risk with all this stuff," Jewell said. "We try to be prepared but can't always be perfect."
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KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson covers portions of Johnson County, including neighborhoods in Overland Park, Shawnee and Mission. Share your story idea with Alyssa.