CLEVELAND, Ohio — The family of a North Randall firefighter killed by a suspected drunk driver is pursuing a civil investigation.
On July 18, Pepper Pike Police said Cameron Duvall and a friend stopped around 2:30 a.m. to help a stranded motorist change a flat tire. Duvall and the friend were at the trunk of the disabled car when a suspected drunk driver slammed into them.
Duvall died at the scene. His friend was seriously injured.
RELATED: North Randall firefighter struck, killed by drunk driver while helping motorist
The 29-year-old started with the North Randall Fire Department in 2022 and was recently promoted to a full-time position.
“Cam was a lot of fun. He was very enjoyable to have on shift, and he brought good morale to the department,” said North Randall Fire Capt. Tony Lombardo.
Nearly two weeks after the tragic crash, black and purple banners were still hanging outside the fire station in Duvall’s honor.
“We spend a lot of time [together] — 24 hours on, 48 off. He was on this shift here, that’s here today, and we worked with him a lot. It was difficult to find out what happened,” Lombardo said.
According to the crash report, Duvall had parked ahead of the disabled vehicle in the left lane of the two-lane road. Investigators estimated the driver was going 50mph in a 35mph zone when he crashed.
Twenty-six-year-old Joseph Simmons was charged with OVI, vehicular homicide and vehicular assault.
“It’s tragedy upon tragedy in this case – the loss of life, the catastrophic injuries to another person. There’s really no words to describe it,” said Jordan Lebovitz, a partner at Nurember, Paris, Heller & McCarthy.
The law firm is representing Duvall’s family in a civil investigation. Lebovitz said they want to know what led up to the crash and whether it could have been avoided.
“Accountability is most important. They want justice for their son, for their family and for the community,” he said.
He explained the firm will be investigating where the Geneva-based suspect was coming from, whether he had been overserved and if any vehicle safety features had failed prior to the crash.
“We’re going to be looking at everything, uncovering every stone to make sure this family gets answers as to why this happened to Cam,” said Lebovitz.
He said multiple families have been devastated by the tragedy.
The loss has also been shocking to Duvall’s work family. But they said they were not surprised to hear one of his final acts was an act of service.
“Cam would help anybody at any time. He would never hesitate or think twice. He always helped anybody that needed it. That was just Cam and Cam’s nature,” said Lombardo.
