Groom Killed on Wedding Day in Tragic Accident After Being A Good Samaritan
A man was struck and killed by a motorist on Saturday night while helping a stranded woman on the side of the road only a few hours after he was married.
William Knight, 49, and his new wife Nikki were driving to a hotel after their wedding reception just before midnight when they came across Linda Darlington, 42, whose car had become stuck in a ditch in Crown Point, Ind., according to WDIV.
"He said, 'We've got to stop, it's late and they need help,'" his wife told The Chicago Sun-Times. "He was the type of person who was willing to put himself on the line and support you no matter what."
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The new bride, a registered nurse, stayed in her car while her new husband walked to help Darlington. Moments later the stranded vehicle was hit by three vehicles in quick succession, authorities said. Officials said the first car skidded out of control and then caused two other cars behind it to lose control.
Nikki Knight rushed over to the scene and found both victims unresponsive and with pulses. They were pronounced dead at the scene and autopsies revealed that they died from blunt force trauma, according to the local coroner's office said
All drivers involved stayed with their vehicles and did not leave the scene. No charges have been filed and it is unclear whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.
Knight leaves behind his wife, two daughters, a stepdaughter and a stepson.
Knight was a 12-year Army veteran who served as a U.S. Army Ranger in the 82nd Airborne Division, including in Operation Desert Storm, Knight told the station.
"I went from a being a newlywed to a widow in less than 48 hours - the highest high to the lowest low," the grieving bride told the Sun-Times. "It's a blur."
