Funeral For Marietta Firefighter Ron Herens Set For Wednesday

MARIETTA, GA -- Funeral services for a Marietta firefighter who died in a violent car crash are set for Tuesday in Cobb County.

A celebration of life for Ron C. Herens, 23, of Powder Springs is set for Wednesday, April 19 at 2 p.m. at Trinity Chapel on 4665 Macland Road in Powder Springs. A public viewing will be one hour before the funeral service, according to West Cobb Funeral Home, who is handling the service.

Visitation for the family will be from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18 at the Trinity Chapel.

Following the funeral, Herens' body will be interred at Cheatham Hill Memorial Park.

This past weekend, Herens' body was brought back to Georgia on Delta Airlines Flight 926. Dozens of people congregated at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Saturday morning for the occasion. Friends, family and scores of firefighters lined the roadway as a hearse slowly pulled away, heading to West Cobb Funeral Home in Marietta.

“I think that tells you everything you need to know about this community. These folks support their public safety officials here, and we know they care about what happens to these folks, and they appreciate what we have the opportunity to do,” Fire Chief Jackie Gibbs told reporters on the scene, according to the Marietta Daily Journal. “On the firefighter side of the house, we love what we do, our folks enjoy serving this community, and it’s a two-way street, and those folks standing out there demonstrate that it’s a two-way street.”

Herens was riding with two other Marietta firefighters -- Dillon Guest and Doug Blanchard -- in Southern California near Marina Del Rey when their vehicle was hit by a suspected drunken driver. Guest and Dillon both suffered non-life threatening injuries in the crash and were hospitalized.

In the hospital, Guest walked Wednesday for the first time since the accident, according to the Marietta Daily Journal. An update on Blanchard's progress is not yet known.

Marietta Fire Department Chief Jackie Gibbs said the firefighters were young men on vacation in Southern California.

"They were all belted in. All driving perfectly down the street ... and just ... blindsided," Gibbs said Tuesday, as he held back tears talking about Herens during a news conference. “All the wind is knocked out of us now.”

Herens was ejected even though he was sitting in the back seat and buckled in, officials said.

The driver that T-boned their vehicle was arrested on suspicions of drunken driving. Los Angeles police have identified him as 23-year-old Benjamin Albert Sider. He is charged him with driving under the influence.

West Cobb Funeral Home is expecting a large crowd at Herens' memorial service.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to the Cobb County Fire Explorers at 1595 County Services Parkway, Marietta, GA 30008; Attn: Deputy Chief William Tanks.

Images via Marietta PD / Facebook