LIBERAL-- The fact that life was snatched from Liberal firefighter Zachary Clifton at the age of 24 is tough enough for family and friends.
That he was headed to his wedding when tragedy struck only doubles the shock, said Jason Kohls, one of Clifton's friends and former coaches.
"It's something horrible regardless of when it happens," said Kohls, who coached Clifton in football and track during his days at Liberal High School in the late 1990s. "Under that situation, it just compounds it."
Clifton, a firefighter and emergency medical technician for the Liberal Fire Department, died Friday afternoon in a one-car rollover on K-51 about 9 miles east of Hugoton. He was to be married that evening to Moriah Morgan in her hometown of Hugoton, and was headed to town for pre-wedding preparations.
"It was pretty tough," said Stevens County Sheriff Ted Heaton, who assisted in the accident response. "That was one of the hardest ones I've dealt with."
While Clifton's family mourns the loss, Liberal Fire Chief Jim Fisher said comrades of the young firefighter grappled with the situation as best they could. Clifton's funeral is Wednesday - a fire truck will carry his body to the cemetery - and a contingent of area firefighters, among others, is expected.
"... We're sharing in the family's grief," said Fisher, who recalled Clifton's enthusiasm and pride.
The young man, he said, had a bright and promising career in front of him.
Clifton grew up in Liberal, a town where high school athletics loom large. He served as offensive and defensive lineman for the Liberal High School football team, and was a member of the 1997 state championship squad. He also threw shot and discus for the track team.
"He was very enthusiastic about all of it," said Kohls, an assistant football and track coach during Clifton's high school years.
Clifton's focus on fitness continued after high school.
"Heck, I think he could've gone out and played football without any problem," Fisher said. "He kept himself in top physical condition."
Beyond the physical, though, Fisher and others described a personable young man who threw himself into firefighting. He joined the Liberal department in July 2004, soon after graduating from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Fisher said.
"He was kind of quiet when he first came on," he said. "But you could just see in his eyes he was glad he was here and happy with what he was doing. You couldn't ask for a better boy from my standpoint."
Skeety Poulton, Clifton's captain, called him an "all-around guy."
"When it was a time to be serious he was serious," he said. "When it was a time to joke around, he joked around."
Accordingly, the loss has had a devastating impact. Kohls said former Liberal High School classmates are reeling at the news, and firefighters - a tight-knit lot - also are struggling.
"It's going to be a difficult situation to get through," Poulton said. "We're going to depend a lot on each other, our families and Zack's family."
Friday's accident occurred about 4:25 p.m. Clifton was driving his 1968 Chevelle - a car Fisher said he had restored with his father - when it left the road for unexplained reasons and rolled over.
Heaton didn't provide particulars on what might have led to the mishap, and said authorities still are investigating. Clifton wasn't wearing a seat belt and died at the scene from injuries sustained in the rollover.
Copyright 2006 The Hutchinson News. Republished with permission of The Hutchinson News.
