Mourners offer a final salute to firefighter killed in traffic accident

PRINCETON BOROUGH - To the somber sounds of a bagpipe, uniformed firefighters and other emergency personnel stood in a circle saluting Washington Township Fire Capt. Dennis Williams as his coffin was placed in a hearse yesterday afternoon.

This salute closed a funeral service at St. Paul Roman Catholic Church to recognize a man described as a doting father, loving husband and dedicated firefighter. Rain fell as loved ones, colleagues and community members gathered to say farewell.

In a eulogy, Dick Williams, the fire captain's father, said his son would be with them "at every perfect sunrise and at every perfect sunset."

He noted his son's lifetime of dedication to his family and work.

"He will be there any time any of us performs a service for our community," Dick Williams said.

Dennis Williams, 39, was killed Thursday morning after being struck by a dump truck on Route 29 while changing a flat tire on his way to go fishing.

To the question, "Why? We know that there is no answer that will console us," Dick Williams said.

He recalled a few simple words his son told him when he was making a difficult decision.

" `Pop, it is what it is,' " Dick Williams remembered Dennis saying. "In those few words, he taught me all the philosophy I need," the elder Williams said.

Roughly 600 people gathered at St. Paul's Church for the service, including about 100 uniformed emergency personnel - some who came from as far away as New York.

Dick Williams said his son cared passionately for his family, work and fishing.

"His sons, Morgan and Dylan, were the core of Dennis' life," he said.

Dennis Williams visited school classes to promote fire safety and held numerous certifications, his father said.

Through fishing, Dennis Williams had his most immediate experiences of God and nature, his father said.

During the homily, The Rev. Patrick Connor, chaplain at Stuart Country Day School, said he had read a survey of college students who listed their goals to be power, prestige and possessions.

"(Dennis) never would have bought that," Connor said. "For him, life was to serve."

Connor said St. Peter would recognize Dennis Williams as "a fellow fisherman."

Connor ended the service saying, "In peace, let us take our brother Dennis to his place of rest."

Dennis Williams was cremated and a private service was conducted yesterday.

Funeral Director Don Capelli of Saul Funeral Homes said the outpouring of offers for help for the funeral was remarkable. Several police departments escorted the convoy of cars from Hamilton Square, where Dennis Williams lived.

"That's really a tribute to Dennis," Capelli said.

HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP - A Washington Township fire captain was struck by a dump truck on Route 29 and killed yesterday morning while changing a flat tire on his way fishing.

Dennis Williams, 39, of Hamilton Square died instantly about 7:45 a.m. when he stepped into the path of a 28-ton dump truck near Valley Road, police said.

Known for his ability to fight fires and a love for his two sons and wife, Williams also took every opportunity to throw a line in the water. He was on his way to catch some striped bass yesterday when a tire blew out on Route 29 north, police said.

His spare tire rolled into the road and Williams followed to retrieve it, said township Police Capt. George Meyer.

"He pulled off to the side of the road, fully off the road. Somehow, the (spare) tire rolled into the northbound lane and Williams went after it," Meyer said. "Right as he did that, there was a big 12-wheel dump truck heading north. The truck driver swerved but was unable to avoid hitting (Williams)."

Route 29 was closed in both directions for about three hours while township and county detectives investigated the incident, police said.

While his young sons, Morgan and Dylan, took turns wearing Williams' fireman's helmet yesterday and family gathered at the home on Hartman Drive in Hamilton, his wife, Lisa, said her husband had set out early on his day off.

"He wanted to see the sunrise and then go fishing for stripers in the Delaware," she said. "His buddy had told him about catching a 25-pound striper there recently."

The flag was at half-staff and firefighters, both paid and volunteer, gathered yesterday at the Washington Township fire station on Route 130 where Williams spent seven years of his working life.

"He definitely loved his job," said Washington Fire Chief Kevin Brink, "and was an extremely hard worker. It's a tragedy and our hearts go out to his family and kids."-- -- --

The Williamses moved from Washington to Hamilton about five years ago, his wife said. He became a paid firefighter seven years ago and was promoted to lieutenant in 2000 before eventually attaining the rank of captain.

"Dennis and (Chief) Kevin (Brink) were the third and fourth firefighters hired in Washington," Lisa Williams said. "He became a fireman because he loved to help people."

Williams graduated from Mount Saint Mary College with a degree in history, then decided to start his own painting company, Dennis Paints, his wife said.

Lisa Williams, who works for the Stark and Stark law firm in Lawrence, said he dedicated much of his free time to his sons, who are in grade school at Princeton Academy of Sacred Heart.

Fellow Washington Fire Capt. Dennis Symons said Williams always talked about his two young boys at work.

"Everything was about his boys," Symons said. "He used to ask me to come in an hour early so he could take his son to hockey practice at 6 a.m."

Williams was the perfect family man and firefighter, Symons said, but his third passion was fishing.

"He fished up and down the East Coast," Symons said. "He spent a lot of his off-time fishing. He loved the Jersey Shore."

Williams was headed north on Route 29 yesterday before the tragic turn of events. He pulled to the side of the highway near the Mercer County Correction Center after getting a flat tire, then called AAA for help, Meyer said.

A tow truck from Hawk's Towing & Recovery in Trenton was sent to help Williams, Meyer said.

The fatal crash occurred while the tow truck worker, who was unidentified, was removing the lug nuts from the flat tire and Williams was taking the spare from the rear of his truck, Meyer said.

"It rolled into the road and he went after it," Meyer said.

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Meyer said the truck was hauling 25 tons of sand from a quarry in Gibbsboro to a concrete plant in New Hope, Pa.

The truck driver, David Decant, 32, of Barrington was not speeding when his truck struck Williams, police said.

Trucks over 26,000 pounds are banned from using Route 29 north of Interstate 95, Meyer said, unless they are delivering or picking up materials to businesses within 2 miles of the highway.

"The concrete plant in New Hope is within 2 miles," he said.

Everything appeared to be legal, Meyer said, and no charges were issued to the driver yesterday. But the investigation is continuing, he said.

Brian Hawkins, owner of Hawk's Towing & Recovery, said this was the first time a fatality ever occurred while one of his tow truck drivers was assisting a motorist.

"I've been in business for 15 years and this is the first time (someone has ever been killed) in front of one of my drivers or myself," Hawkins said. "It's just terrible."

His driver, Hawkins said, is still too shaken up to talk about the incident with anyone.

Funeral arrangements for Williams had not been made yesterday.