Cpl. Christopher Kent Paschal, age 37, was involved in an off duty motor vehicle accident at 7:45 a.m. on January 2, 2009 and succumbed to his injuries at the Bristol Regional Medical Center on Jan. 4, 2009, at approximately 4:30 p.m. after sustaining critical head injuries in an accident on icy northbound Interstate 81. He was off duty that morning and traveling with his wife, Kasey, and daughter, Keyleigh, when he saw an accident, one of more than 100 in three counties in a short time caused by ice and snow. As he telephoned central dispatch to report that accident when his vehicle lost traction on the ice. The 2001 Mitsubishi SUV “ran off the road to the right, overturned twice and came to rest on its wheels.” He was on the phone with the dispatcher, saying there was an accident, and all of a sudden he advised her he was wrecking. Then he lost contact. Paschal’s wife and daughter escaped injury. Paschal was taken to Smyth County Community Hospital and transferred by ambulance to Bristol Regional Medical Center. Weather conditions kept medical evacuation helicopters grounded and Med-Flight was unable to be sent to the accident. Paschal was with the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office for eight years and before that served with Saltville Police Department. In 2007 Paschal and his K-9 Ben graduated from the 13-week
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