Sparta firefighter 'carrying on family tradition' killed in single-vehicle crash in Christian County

Andrew C. Iorg, 19, was killed in a single-vehicle crash Friday evening in Christian County, according to a report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The driver, 16-year-old Weston Smith of Sparta, was heading northbound in a 1998 Chevy pickup truck on state Route 125 when the truck ran off the road, stuck a tree and overturned, the report said.

Iorg, of Bruner, and Tristan Weter, of Sparta, were passengers in the pickup when the vehicle ran off the roadway just before 11 p.m. Weter, 17, was transported to a nearby hospital, the report said, and Iorg was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a statement posted to Sparta Fire Protection District's Facebook page, Iorg was a firefighter and was carrying on a family tradition.

The statement says: "It's with a heavy heart we report the loss of one of our own firefighters. FF Cole Iorg lost his life in a motor vehicle accident last night. Cole was new to the fire service but was carrying on a family tradition, he was following in his father and grandfather's footsteps. Cole made a big impact on all of us here at Sparta and he will be missed dearly. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends in this hard time."

None of the vehicle's occupants were wearing a seat belt, the highway patrol report said.