RICHMOND, Va. -- The Richmond Fire Department is mourning the death of veteran firefighter Rodney Jermaine Coles.
Coles, 49, was killed in a crash Thursday afternoon.
"At approximately 3:45 p.m. on Thursday, August 3, 2023, Virginia State Police responded to a single vehicle crash southbound Interstate 95 at the 58-mile marker," a Virginia State Police spokesperson wrote in an email. "A 2003 Subaru sedan ran off the road to the right and struck bushes in the area."
The Richmond Fire Department indicated Coles "recently experienced a sudden medical emergency and did not recover." The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
“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,” Chief Melvin D. Carter said. “One way that we may honor our brother firefighter is by keeping his family in mind.”