Funeral Service For Ft. Lauderdale Firefighter
FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - A funeral service is being held Tuesday for a Ft. Lauderdale firefighter who died after being hit by a car on the shoulder of I-95.
Kevin Johns' family, friends and fellow firefighters gathered at 10 a.m. at The Sanctuary Church in Ft. Lauderdale.
His procession started about a half hour before that.
CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTO GALLERY OF FUNERAL PROCESSION
The hearse, which was actually empty because Johns was cremated, left Fire Station 13 accompanied by the Johns' family and the fire truck from the station. Near The Sanctuary Church, the procession was joined by his Battalion Chief and crew along with a bagpipe and drum corps.
Slowly, they marched under an American flag suspended high in the air by two fire trucks as they entered the church property.
Clutching the cross around her neck, Johns' wife and familyescorted his casket into the church for a tough good bye.
During the service, friends remembered him as a hero, who was taken too soon.
"When it came down to it, no matter if father, husband, brother or fellow firefighter, he was everyone's hero," said firefighters union Local 765 President Scott Bayne.
"We are so proud and so blessed that Kevin had our back, day in and day out, and hundreds of thousands of citizens were never able to say 'Thank you for having my back'," Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler told those in attendance.
Johns, 48, was on his way to work September 30th around 7 a.m. when he got a flat tire in the southbound lanes of the highway near I-95 near Yamato Road. When he got out to change it, he was struck by Hyundai Sonata driven by Lorenza Simmons.
Simmons was reportedly trying to avoid hitting a Toyota RAV4 which had slowed for traffic. She struck the rear of the SUV, ran off the road onto the shoulder and hit Johns.
"I ran out of my car and I called 911," she said. "I checked on him. I made sure he was breathing."
Johns was taken to the Delray Medical Center where he died hours later.
Deputy Fire Chief Bob Simac said Johns was 28 year veteran with the department who was a very accomplished and decorated firefighter.
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