Flags at two fire stations in Iowa were lowered to half staff Monday to honor a firefighter killed in a car crash while returning home after duty.
Dan Nichols, 40, worked the Christmas shift for a colleague at the Des Moines Fire Department, and was headed home to his wife and five children Monday morning when his truck skidded on any icy road.
Nichols was ejected as the vehicle rolled over. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Firefighters from Indianola Vol. Fire Co., who received the call about 7:10 a.m., learned just prior to their arrival that the crash involved one of their own, said Chief Brian Seymour.
Nichols, a former U.S. Marine, still volunteered at his hometown station. "He was a go-getter, and very active in the community. He taught CPR and First Aid," Seymour said Monday night. "He thought educating kids and adults was important."
On Dec. 7, Nichols completed his probationary period with the Des Moines Fire Department, said Assistant Chief Jim Mason.
"He was killed on his way home to celebrate Christmas with his family,
