Off-duty Pa. Firefighter Killed in Wreck

The firefighter lived at the station, and was a mentor for younger members.

Aug. 24, 2006

2 min read

Black drapes hang from the fire engines at Richland Township Fire Department in honor of 23 year old Jeff Keyser. Keyser lived at the station, and left to run a couple of errands Tuesday afternoon on his motorcycle...his firefighting buddies never realizing that would be the last time they would see him alive.

"Words can't express what type of person Jeff was," says Assistant Fire Chief Jason Ober. "We have lost a great person."

The investigation into the accident is still ongoing, but according to the Cambria County Coroner, Keyser collided with a car on Elton Road, which pushed him into a second car. At some point he was thrown from the bike and died at the scene. The firefighters that responded to the accident were kept back by EMS crews once they realized it was Jeff.

"Yesterday was very trying for everyone there," says Ober. "We all had a close tie to Jeff."

Keyser was known as a mentor to several of the young firefighters and could always be counted on to have a smile on his face. In fact, his love for his job and his firefighting family was felt by everyone who knew him.

"I would say he is probably the kindest person to ever walk in these doors," says Ober. "Just an outstanding individual. This community and the fire department has lost one of the best."

Richland police have hired a crew to reconstruct the accident to find out exactly what happened. They are asking anyone who may have seen it to call them at 266-8333.