Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday ordered the commonwealth flag on all commonwealth facilities, public buildings and grounds to fly at half-staff in honor of a Rostraver West Newton Emergency Services supervisor, who was killed early Sunday while responding to a crash on Interstate 70 in Westmoreland County.
“Matthew Smelser’s death is a tragic reminder of the risk taken by emergency personnel across the state each day to rescue Pennsylvanians in distress,” Mr. Wolf said Monday in a statement.
“We need to do our part to exercise caution while traveling, especially during winter weather or when approaching the scene of an accident,” he said.
Mr. Smelser was killed just before 6 a.m. Sunday as his ambulance was struck by a tractor trailer. He had just exited his emergency vehicle to help a crash victim on Interstate 70 when he was hit, state police said.
The crash happened between Exit 49-Smithton and Exit 46A-PA 51 South.
As Mr. Wolf was issuing his order, people who knew Mr. Smelser were gathering at a makeshift memorial at Rostraver West Newton Emergency Services. Local resident Jodi Winwood said she built a relationship with the EMS worker who often responded to her home to transport her kids, who suffer from epilepsy, to UPMC Children's Hospital when they experienced episodes.
"My heart just dropped," Ms. Winwood said tearfully of when she heard that Mr. Smelser was killed. She said her son recalled a time when Mr. Smelser gave the 11-year-old his phone to watch the movie “Frozen” to keep him calm on their way to Children's. "Matt was, he was an awesome medic," she said. "As my kid said in his write up, there is no replacement for Matt. It's unbelievable.
"Matt always went above and beyond. He always cared about his patients and that is one of the memories that I will never forget." Ms. Winwood said the next trip to Children's with her kids is going to be very difficult after the loss of their favorite paramedic.
Mr. Smelser's superior skills and attention to detail helped bolster him up the ranks to supervisor, according to his coworker Mary Popovich. She said that he got started at an ambulance company around the age of 14 and found his niche right away.
"His purpose was to serve others and he did a good job at it," she said.
Commonwealth flags will be lowered until sunset on Monday and on the day of interment, which has not yet been announced. The United States flag is to remain at full staff throughout the tribute, according to a statement from Mr. Wolf.
Rostraver West Newton Emergency Services announced Mr. Smelser’s death via Facebook on Sunday afternoon.
“It’s with great sorrow and pain that we announce the tragic loss of Paramedic Supervisor Matthew Smelser, he was killed this morning while attending to an injured person on interstate 70,” the emergency services group said.
“Please keep him, his family and all of us in your thoughts and prayers.”
Lacretia Wimbley: lwimbley@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1510 or on Twitter @Wimbleyjourno.
First Published: January 6, 2020, 6:30 p.m.
