KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — Hundreds of police officers and firefighters from across the Midwest joined community members in Kalamazoo Wednesday to honor Comstock Township Fire Chief Ed Switalski, who was killed while responding to a call.
Switalski was hit and killed by a passing vehicle last week as he prepared to leave the scene of a reported crash on eastbound I-94 near mile marker 81. It’s unclear if the driver, a Battle Creek-area man, has been charged in connection to the incident.
After serving more than 30 years at Pleasantview Fire District in Illinois, Switalski moved to West Michigan in 2013 to be closer to his daughters, who were attending Western Michigan University. He was sworn in as chief on July 1, 2013.
Switalski leaves behind a wife, two daughters and a much larger family of firefighters.
>>Online: Chief Edward Switalski Memorial Fund