A procession of emergency vehicles passed Georgetown Fire Department as the body of firefighter Thomas Berry is moved to the medical examiner’s body. Photo from Sussex County Department of Public Safety video
A Georgetown man who was a firefighter and Sussex County employee was killed Tuesday afternoon after he stopped on his way back to county offices to help at an accident.
Thomas Wilson Berry III, 23, died just before 4:30 p.m. at a vehicle crash on U.S. 9/Lewes-Georgetown Highway.
Thomas Berry
Some reports say he was struck and killed, but others said he was injured by downed power lines.
The Delaware State Police investigating the accident haven’t released any information about it. The investigation closed Route Nine between Gravel Hill Road and Shingle Point Road.
Berry was a volunteer at both Georgetown and Ellendale fire companies, according to social media posts, and had worked with the county since 2022 as a logistics technician for the County’s Emergency Medical Services division.
The county and area firefighters honored him with a procession of emergency vehicles Tuesday night as Berry’s body was moved from the scene to the Delaware Medical Examiner’s Office, past the Georgetown Fire Department.
“There aren’t enough words to thank Georgetown Fire Company for all the love and respect they showed for my grandson and to all of our family,” posted Berry’s grandmother, Mercy Kramer of Ellendale on Facebook. “Ellendale Fire company was right there too as well as SCEMS. If you pray please keep all of them in your prayers as well as my family.”
The line of duty death shocked the community, with fire departments and EMS units in the area all issuing posts about the tragic loss. Kent County emergency personnel took over responding for Ellendale Tuesday night while the volunteer company honored its own.
State Sen. Brian Pettyjohn, R-Georgetown, posted that “prayers are desperately needed for members of the Georgetown Fire Company , the Ellendale Fire Company , Georgetown EMS/Station 93 and the Sussex County Department of Public Safety as they deal with the loss of Tommy Berry. Please keep them all in your prayers as they cope with this loss, and may God bless all of our first responders.”
“We are beyond heartbroken at this loss of such a dedicated and caring young man who exemplified public service until his last moments on this earth,” said County Council President Michael H. Vincent, a lifelong member of the volunteer fire service himself. “His selfless act in a moment of need is one that will be long remembered by his friends and colleagues and by all of us at County government. As tragic as this loss of life is, his heroism is something we should all be proud of and thankful for, and we hold his family, co-workers, and all his brothers and sisters in the fire service in our hearts and prayers in this most difficult time.”
County flags have been lowered to half-staff in Berry’s honor.
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