Driver charged in Iredell Co. wreck that killed volunteer firefighter
IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. -- A truck driver is facing charges after authorities said he caused a crash that killed a volunteer firefighter in Iredell County.
Police said the truck pulled out in front of a motorcycle around 1 p.m. Saturday on Mocksville Highway at the Swann Road intersection.
The motorcyclist, 51-year-old Jackie Cheek, died.
The truck driver, John Marlowe, is charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and failure to yield.
For nearly 14 years, Cheek served with the Sheffield Calahaln Volunteer Fire Department in Davie County.
On Sunday, fellow firefighters, along with servicemen and women led a near 40-mile procession, escorting their fallen brother.
"He was a good person all the way around," fire Chief David Beck said.
"If I asked him to do anything, I never had to worry about it," Beck said. "It was a done deal."
Cheeks led the department's junior firefighters programs, and often competed with their team in counties across the state.
Among his students, was his son Brandon, who also serves as a volunteer firefighter.
Beck said Cheeks elevated the program well beyond their original standards, adding at least six others students now serve among them.
Support for the department continued to pour in a day after the loss, with crews from Scotts Irish and Cools Springs taking over its calls for the day.
"It's a pleasure to me being the position I'm in to have the family we have to deal with everyday, and I'm not just saying Sheffield," Beck said.
"I'm saying the brotherhood."
