A Connecticut junior firefighter was one of two teens killed in a car accident Tuesday.
Matthew Rousseau, a 16-year-old junior firefighter with the Northfield Volunteer Fire Company, was traveling with four other teens when the car they were in lost control, struck a tree and caught fire in Torrington, WTIC-TV reports. Three of the occupants were injured in the accident, and Rousseau and another teen were killed.
"Matt was an amazing young man," the Northfield Volunteer Fire Company said in an online statement. "Polite, full of enthusiasm, and always a smile on his face. He never hesitated to jump in and lend a hand around the firehouse when he could, even when he was busy with school, athletics, and all that goes into being teenager. He was what every parent wants their kid to be like, and we are honored to have known him for the time that he was here. We will miss him dearly, and extend our deepest condolences to the Rousseau family and our community."
Along with being a junior firefighter, Rousseau also played basketball at Litchfield High School. He balanced his time between those two activities and school, Fire Chief Ryan Crichton said.
“He was really excited about the firefighting aspect," Crichton told WTIC. "We set up an obstacle course and the point of the obstacle course is to test your limits. He wanted to jump in right away he put the air pack on, he wasn’t connected to air. He went through the entire obstacle course without an issue and wanted to go again, and I was so proud of him, because half of my guys couldn’t even do it."
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
