Chief Tango and David sent us links to the sad news that Captain Aaron J. Eidem was killed in an automobile accident the other day while trying to help a driver in distress. Captain Eidem saw a stranded motorist and he stopped to help the driver move the car to a safer stretch of the shoulder. A trailer truck hit his car which then ran over the Captain.
After hitting Eidem’s car, the tractor-trailer hit another vehicle, which then collided with a second tractor-trailer. No other injuries were reported, however.
It was unclear Sunday evening whether anyone had been charged in the incident.
Eidem was an instructor at the ROTC program at the Missouri State University. The article says that he deployed three times to the war against terror and that he earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.
Comments
16 responses to “Captain Aaron J. Eidem; good Samaritan dies”
Damn, just . . . damn.
Rest in peace, Captain.
CPT Eidem was an ROTC Instructor at Missouri State University in Springfield (my old hometown) not the University of Missouri.
RIP Sir.
Well this sucks on just about every level I can think of today.
It sort of reinforces the old adage that no good deed ever goes unpunished.
R.I.P. Sir.
Truly unfortunate for one our brothers to have his life cut so short while trying to help someone. When I look in the mirror and consider the old adage, “Only the good die young”, it makes me wonder whether I have made any sacrifices of any importance. As the song goes, “Go rest high on that mountain, for your work on earth is done”. in fact, Very well done sir.
I learned long ago that if I take the measure of myself against the deeds of saints or heroes, I’m so far back you couldn’t see me with a telescope. That doesn’t mean we can’t–or don’t–do good deeds. It just means that, for whatever reason, we weren’t called upon to give all. The other thing I learned long ago was not to try and figure out the ‘whys’ of the matter.
Nope. It was just time.
Seems a hell of a lot more common now to hear those stories of ‘he was parked on the shoulder doing XXX when another vehicle ran into his car”. In most cases it seems like good Samaritans or first responders getting the short end of the stick…if alcohol was involved, hope they throw the book at the trucker. God’s peace be with you, Captain.
Sad to hear. This happened to one of my old soldiers a SPC Justin Felegie was killed in Erie PA after he got out of the Army. He survived Iraq as a gunner, and got hit by a lady while helping another lady who got her car stuck in the snow.
A proud MP; Of the Troops, For the Troops”.
RIP Sir
Far too young. He should have died hereafter.
Very sad to see this kind of thing happen.
The uniform came off but not the sense of duty to protect others.
RIP brother.
Rest in peace, Captain Eidem. May God give peace and comfort to your family and loved ones.
Gone too soon…RIP
Rest in peace, Captain.
One saves, one saves and dies. JUST NOT RIGHT ??