“He had relayed to his family how excited he was to be on the fire department. He was going to be a great asset to this department, we could tell. He just had a passion to get on a fire department and that young man showed up here, not knowing any of us, and asked if he could apply, which says a lot about his character to walk into the unknown” (Gary Kepley, WFPD safety officer).

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On Sunday, June 27th, 2021, Wabash Fire Protection District Firefighter Mehdi Mourad was killed in the line of duty after responding to a multiple vehicle accident, Firefighter Mehdi Mourad lost control of the vehicle he was driving and rear-ended another vehicle that was stopped on the side of the interstate due to severe weather. Mourad was trapped in his vehicle and had to be extricated. He was then taken to Carle Hospital where he passed away during surgery.

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Mourad had just officially joined the Wabash Fire Protection District as a volunteer five days earlier and was responding to only his second call for service at the time of the crash. Mehdi Mourad was born in Morocco. He was a fun big brother and well loved by everyone he met, largely due to his desire to really know you. He could always be counted on for lending a helping hand, giving protection to anyone who needed it, and for lots of fun.

Our hearts are with the Mourad family and the Wabash Fire Protection District.

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