Fire chief responds to fatal crash, learns son is victim

The call that two vehicles had crashed along the highway sounded bad enough that Mike Stephen, chief of the Pineville Volunteer Fire Department, felt he should go to the scene.

The victim was his 25-year-old son Joe Stephen, who was on his way home Monday to check on his pregnant girlfriend, according to KARK.

"There was a ball of officers and we just all kneeled down and prayed," Mike Stephen, who also works as a deputy with the Stone County Sheriff's Office told KARK.

In all, eight relatives in various responder roles were at the scene.

Joe’s funeral is Friday.