On August 2, 2021, 26-year-old Trevor Doom, along with his fiancé, her mother, her mother’s boyfriend, and his fiancé’s 14-year-old cousin, were exiting the driveway of a business when a semi-truck driver ran a red light and hit them broadside. Five lives were lost in an instant from the impact of the crash. Trevor was the front seat passenger. It was estimated that the semi was traveling 55 to 60 mph at the time of impact. Trevor and his fiancé were newly engaged, and were never able to formally introduce their families.
Trevor was born 3 months prematurely, weighing only 1 lb., 11 oz. He was given a 10-15% chance of surviving. He spent 3 months in Kosair Children’s Hospital before coming home with mild cerebral palsy. His parents were told that he may never walk, talk, see, or hear, but he overcame these odds and lived only with his left side being weaker than his right. He never let his disability slow him down when it came to pursuing his dreams. He wanted to become a volunteer firefighter, just as his grandfather and uncle had been, which he did through hard work and perseverance.
He not only became a firefighter, but had been the fire chief of the Wickliffe Rural Fire Department for two years when he passed away. He was known for being the first to arrive on the scene and the last to leave the station after cleaning up. Trevor dedicated his life to serving his community and giving back to others. He loved telling people how you can achieve anything by believing in yourself. He would tell you that he never looked at things with an “I can’t” attitude, but rather, asked: “How can I adapt this situation with my limitations to achieve what I want?”
It is because of how Trevor lived his life that his family finds the strength to share his story and push for changes to make semi-truck drivers be held more accountable. They were successful in lowering the speed limit where the crash occurred and they continue to look for ways to push for more changes, so that roads can be safer for us all.