THE father of a 1-month-old baby was struck and killed while attempting to help another driver who had reportedly hit him on the highway.
Tristan Lemka, 22, was reportedly on his way to church when he stopped to help assist the driver on the side of Highway 1-60 in Tennessee.
According to WBIR, another vehicle fatally struck the young father while he was in the middle of assisting the other driver.
While he was on the road, another vehicle struck Lemka’s unoccupied car, which was then pushed into him.
Lemka’s wife, Taylor, said that his family is taking the loss one day at a time, but said she’s not surprised that her husband’s final moments were spent trying to help someone else.
“I hate that he lost his life for it, but knowing that he saved another one just gives you some comfort,” she said.
The young mother described Lemka as her “best friend,” and said she takes solace knowing he’ll be spending this Christmas in heaven.
“There’s always going to be a part of me that wants him back,” she said.
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“But just to think he is up there rejoicing and walking streets of gold. He’s about to have the best Christmas up there.”
His wife said that at the time of the accident, he was on his way to a church where he had been serving as a fill-in pastor since 2018.
Speaking to the outlet while holding her infant daughter, Taylor said that she hopes her husband’s kindness leaves a lasting impact on those who knew him.
“If you got to meet him, you were blessed,” she said. “He was a good one.”
