Local responders mourn death of Ind. EMT Cody Medley after traffic accident

SUNMAN, Ind. - Area firefighters and EMTs began grieving the loss of one of their own Sunday afternoon.

Flags were at half-mast and the marquee read "RIP Brother" at the Sunman Rural Fire Department in northern Dearborn County to honor Cody Medley, 22, an Indianapolis emergency medical technician who passed away early Sunday. Medley became the second EMT to lose his life after a Saturday morning traffic accident in Indianapolis involving his ambulance and a car.

Medley began his career at Sunman at the age of 17 as a fire cadet before moving to Indianapolis in 2010 to join the Indianapolis department.

Sunman fire chief, Bill Craig, described Medley as a driven young man who took his career as a first responder seriously, wanting to be the best firefighter and EMT he could be.

"The last conversation I had with him is that he was excited about what he was doing. He loved it," Craig said.

Peter Thomas, a fellow Sunman firefighter at the time Medley was there, had fond memories of his co-worker and friend as well.

"On a fire scene was a 'get it done and take it seriously' kind of fire fighter," said Thomas who entered the fire service at the same time Medley did.

"I went through the cadet program with him and we started running together and all of the training and everything he stuck to it. I mean he was serious about it because to him everything had to be done right," said Thomas.

Additionally, IEMS said friends described Medley as fun and outgoing and that he enjoyed his job.

"Cody was a skilled paramedic, a loyal colleague and a wonderful friend,” said Dr. Charles Miramonti, chief of Indianapolis EMS, in a news release. “While the past 28 hours have been filled with extraordinary grief, loss and sadness, we've come together to remember two extraordinary young men."

EMT Timothy McCormick died shortly after the crash at the intersection of St. Clair Street and Senate Avenue just after 3:30 a.m. Saturday.

"We grieve with our IEMS family as we learn of the passing of Specialist Cody Medley," said Department of Public Safety Director Troy Riggs, in a news release. "Please keep his family and his friends in your thoughts and prayers."

Crisis support teams and an employee assistance program were made available to all IEMS staff.

Police said Jade Hammer, 21, told officers that she had consumed one and a half drinks before the crash. The traffic light at the intersection was flashing yellow for the ambulance and red for the car Hammer was driving, police said.

During a Sunday afternoon press conference, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard said the city stood next to their IEMS community during their time of grief, and said he could not speculate if charges would be filed against Hammer, who had yet to be charged with any crime.

“We will have to see how this investigation plays out,” Ballard said. “It’s too early to see how this investigation plays out, but our focus is on families.”

Initial blood alcohol content results indicate Hammer’s blood alcohol level at the time she crashed into Medley and McCormick’s ambulance as “borderline,” according to Indianapolis officials.

Medley’s father, who was present at the press conference in Indianapolis, wore his son’s EMT jacket and addressed those present.

"He was proud of this," Jeff Medley said of his son's EMT jacket. ". ..wish you could have known him."

The Scripps' station in Indianapolis and reporter Stephen Dean contributed to this report.