Fire stations from neighboring counties and nearly one hundred people gathered to pay their respects at a new memorial in Mattoon.
On March 29, 1966 two Mattoon Fire Stations responded to a grass fire at 1208 Richmond in Mattoon. One of the fire engines was driving down Broadway and the other was coming down Charleston Avenue. The one driving down Charleston Avenue went north on 15th Street then the two engines collided.
The crash left several firefighters injured and one dead.
Robert DeMars was only thirty-four and was married with three children when he passed a Mattoon Firefighter Bart Owen said.
A firefighter who worked with DeMars in the 1960s said he was honored to have worked with him.
Decker was getting off of his shift before DeMars started his. He said he was filling up his truck at a filling station down the road when someone told him there was an accident and he needed to be there.
“He was a great guy to be with,” Decker said. “He was a good family man, a Christian and he was a wonderful person to work with.”
Decker attended the memorial and he said it was something the city of Mattoon needed.
The Mattoon Fire Station has had previous memorials to honor DeMars and the others in the accident.
The fire station and the city matched funds to provide the plaque that is located on 15th and Broadway where the accident happened. They have been planning this for the past few months.
“I think it means a lot to have it memorialized like this.” Owen said.
This had been the biggest accident involving the Mattoon Fire Station. In the 60s radio communication between the fire trucks was limited.
Fire Stations from Arcola, Charleston, Sullivan and other stations throughout the county attended the memorial.
The memorial was located at the scene of the crash, which is now First Mid Bank. It started with a salute to the memorial by current Mattoon Firefighters. Shortly after that the Fire Chief Tony Nichols gave a speech regarding what happened. He then ended with a poem.
Owen said there are pictures around the fire station in remembrance of the accident. “Everybody will know when you walk by here and the kids in the future they’ll understand it.” He said.
The Mattoon Fire Department doesn’t want the accident of 1966 to go unremembered and that the memorial will be out for everyone to see.
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