COLUMBUS – An off-duty Columbus firefighter was killed in a motorcycle accident near downtown Tuesday night, fire officials have confirmed.
Derek Walton was killed when he lost control of his motorcycle and slid into a utility pole on E. Long Street near 11th Street at about 9:38 p.m., Sgt. Brooke Wilson of the Accident Investigation Unit said.
Walton, 32, joined the division in 2014 and was assigned to Station 23, at Livingston Avenue and Hamilton Road, an assignment he sought passionately because he wanted to work in that neighborhood, according to a Division of Fire release.
“One of the things that stands out to me about Derek is that he was so excited about becoming a paramedic, he started his training on his own time at Grant Hospital instead of waiting for the next Columbus Fire class,” Assistant Chief James Cannell said in the statement.
Police say Walton was driving his 2014 Suzuki motorcycle eastbound on E. Long Street near N. 11th Street when he lost control and he motorcycle fell over on its side, Wilson said.
The bike slid towards the north side of Long Street where it struck a light pole on the north side of the roadway and continued eastbound until it came to rest just west of Lester Drive.
Walton was transported to Grant Medical Center in critical condition and was pronounced dead at 10:53pm.
“He will be greatly missed,” Cannell said.
Walton grew up in Columbus and graduated from South High School Urban Academy in 2003. He served in the US Army from 2004-2007 and received an honorable discharge.
It is not clear why Walton lost control of his motorcycle and the accident is still under investigation, Wilson said.