A Bay area paramedic killed Monday in a motorcycle crash played a key role in helping Ireland Nugent, the Pinellas County girl injured in a lawn mower accident earlier this year.
According to Sunstar EMS, Christopher Jennings was killed while riding his motorcycle Monday in Clearwater. He had been with Sunstar for about four years.
Jennings, 33, of Palm Harbor, was involved in a crash at Keene Road and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard. He was taken to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Sunstar officials said he was an excellent employee and will be missed.
"He was an outstanding employee," said Rob Smith, director of communications for Sunstar. "He loved being a part of EMS."
Officials said Jennings, whose family is from Georgia, worked as an assistant supervisor paramedic out of the north county hub and also was a SWAT paramedic in support of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
"Always had a smile on his face. It was just every time we came down, he came out to training, came out to an operation, no matter how tired he was, no matter what, anything was thrown his way, he always had a smile," said Chris Eisenhardt, SWAT Team Leader, Pinellas County Tactical EMS.
"He always wanted to make the situation he was involved in better and we was just one of those genuinely joyful people who was able to exude that," said Mike Bureau, Sunstar Operations Supervisor.
During his time at Sunstar, Jennings was one of the first responders to the scene when 2-year-old Nugent was run over by a lawnmower.
"He absolutely was our hero and still is our hero. I mean he saved our baby,” said Nicole Nugent, Ireland’s mother. "He was making faces in the back of the ambulance with her and just trying to get her to be as happy as she could be in that moment."
Jennings met with Ireland and her parents during the toddler's recovery. It meant a lot to Jennings to meet Ireland and see how well she was recovering after the accident.
"They were giggling and laughing together and he was so happy to be there with her,” she said.