Sharon fire captain and EMT Braden Hudson

Emergency personnel across the community are still reeling from the death of one of their own last week.
Braden Hudson, 24, died in a two-vehicle collision early Thursday morning. According to a fatality report issued by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Hudson was traveling eastbound on Hawkes Road outside of Sharon when he apparently failed to stop at the stop sign intersecting Adams Road.
Hudson’s Volkswagon Jetta collided with a Dodge 1500 truck driven by 18-year-old Michael Petty of Sharon. Petty and his passenger, 20-year-old Haley Petty were injured in the accident.
The incident occurred shortly after midnight. All involved in the crash were not wearing a seatbelt.
Sharon Fire Chief Gary Eddings was one of the first to respond to the scene. When he received the call, he was unaware the victim of the fatality would be one of his own.
“In this line of work, you get hardened to the death and destruction you see at an accident. When it is one of your own, it is definitely a different feeling,” Eddings said.
Eddings rode with Hudson in the ambulance to the local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Hudson started working for the Sharon Fire Department in 2006. Eddings said he and Stacey Bostwick took him under their wings at the department.
After extensive training, Hudson earned the rank of captain and training officer with SFD. He served as an EMT.
“We will always be at a loss. We already have a good group of people working with us, but there will be a void not having him here,” Eddings added.
Weakley County Emergency Management Director Jamison Peevyhouse said Hudson had significant potential. Peevyhouse hired him toe also serve as a dispatcher for the Weakley County 9-1-1 office.
“He was considered a great dispatcher. It all came so easily to him. We all knew the potential in him was astounding. It will take all of us working together to fill the void from the potential he left behind,” Peevyhouse said.
Hudson was laid to rest at Sunset Cemetery in Dresden Saturday afternoon. He was surrounded by emergency personnel decked in uniform from across the county.
9-1-1 supervisor Christy Nanney Fulcher offered Hudson’s last call over the radio to Hudson’s number 1105. The last call was met with silence before Fulcher applauded his service to the county and bid him farewell.
A helicopter from Air Evac Lifeteam, Vanderbilt’s Lifeflight and a Memphis helicopter circled the cemetery from above before coming “in-bound” symbolic of taking Hudson to a better place.

WCP 6.19.12