Petersburg resident and Richmond firefighter dies after crash on I-95
The Petersburg resident who died in a car crash on Interstate 95 Thursday afternoon in Chesterfield County was in the middle of a medical crisis when he ran off the highway and wrecked, the Richmond Fire Department said Friday on social media.
Friday would have been Rodney Coles’ 15th anniversary as a firefighter with Richmond Fire & EMS. On Thursday, state police said Coles, 49, was southbound on I-95 near the Woods Edge Road exit when his 2003 Subaru ran off the right side of the highway into some bushes. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died.
“We are mourning the tremendous loss of Firefighter Rodney Coles, on what would have been his 15th anniversary with the City of Richmond Fire and Emergency Services,” the department wrote in the post. “Firefighter Coles recently experienced a sudden medical emergency and did not recover.”
The medical emergency was not identified. “During times like this, it is good to reflect upon the positive contributions that Rodney Coles made to the community where he served as a firefighter since August 4, 2008,” fire chief Melvin Carter said in the post. “One way that we may honor our brother firefighter is by keeping his family in mind.”
The Facebook post said Coles’ family “asks for privacy as they mourn this loss.” His wife “expresses deep gratitude to the department for their support during this difficult time, noting the unity among the RFD family is exceptional.”
A Virginia State Police statement said Coles was wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg man killed in crash on I-95 in Chesterfield County
