A Dec. 11 crash on an Indiana highway killed an Oshkosh firefighter and seriously injured two Sheboygan firefighters
According to a statement by the Oshkosh Fire Department, 26-year-old Tom Diener, a firefighter and paramedic with the Oshkosh Fire Department and a lieutenant with the Town of Sheboygan Fire Department, was killed.
The two seriously injured individuals were identified as Town of Sheboygan firefighters Carter Haen and Robbie Betts. Both were transported to a trauma center in South Bend, Indiana, where they are now reported to be in stable condition.
The three men were traveling together in Indiana for a trip related to public safety and emergency warning systems. Diener and Haen were co-owners of Sheboygan Warning Systems, a Wisconsin-based company that installs and maintains emergency warning throughout the Midwest.
According to police, a 47-year-old tractor-trailer driver from Maryland was heading west on U.S. Highway 30 in Marshall County, Indiana, when he hit the firefighters’ pickup truck. The truck was sitting on the shoulder of the roadway attached to a tow truck at the time of the collision.
“This is a profound loss for the Oshkosh and Sheboygan communities,” the Oshkosh Fire Department said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the Diener family and the families of Carter and Robbie as they face a long road to recovery.”
The Town of Sheboygan Fire Department said in a social media post that Diener served as a lieutenant, while Haen was a member and Betts was a former member of the volunteer department.
“These three gentlemen have spent their adult lives serving the public and keeping multiple communities safe,” the post said.
A donation page supporting the families of Diener, Haen and Betts has been established through the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin Charitable Foundation.
Beyond supporting the immediate needs of the families, excess funds will be used to create a permanent impact through a memorial or scholarship in Tom Diener’s name, reflecting his devotion to public safety and community.
A public visitation for Diener will take place Dec. 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Dominic Catholic Church in Sheboygan, immediately followed by a Funeral Mass. Burial will take place at Calvary Cemetery.
“Thank you for your compassion and patience as we support the family and our department,” the OFD statement said.
