Tuesday afternoon, a firefighter from Georgetown who worked for Sussex County was murdered when he stopped to assist at an accident while returning to the county offices.
Just before 4:30 p.m., Thomas Wilson Berry III, 23, passed away in a car accident on U.S. 9/Lewes-Georgetown Highway.
According to some stories, he was struck and killed, while other reports claim that fallen power lines hurt him.
No information regarding the collision has been made public by the Delaware State Police, who are investigating it. Route Nine was closed between Gravel Hill Road and Shingle Point Road for the inquiry.
According to social media posts, Berry volunteered at the Georgetown and Ellendale fire departments. She also worked for the county since 2022 as a logistics technician for the Emergency Medical Services department.
Tuesday night, when Berry’s body was being transported from the scene to the Delaware Medical Examiner’s Office, via the Georgetown Fire Department, the county and local firefighters honoured him with a procession of emergency vehicles.
Berry’s grandmother, Mercy Kramer of Ellendale, wrote on Facebook, “There aren’t enough words to thank Georgetown Fire Company for all the love and respect they showed for my grandson and to all of our family.” “SCEMS and the Ellendale Fire Company were also present at that location. Please remember my family and all of them in your prayers if you are able.
The line of duty death shocked the community, with fire departments and EMS units in the area all issuing posts about the tragic loss. Kent County emergency personnel took over responding for Ellendale Tuesday night while the volunteer company honored its own.
State Sen. Brian Pettyjohn, R-Georgetown, posted that “prayers are desperately needed for members of the Georgetown Fire Company, the Ellendale Fire Company, Georgetown EMS/Station 93 and the Sussex County Department of Public Safety as they deal with the loss of Tommy Berry. Please keep them all in your prayers as they cope with this loss, and may God bless all of our first responders.”
