A Shapleigh firefighter who died while responding to a call Monday was remembered by friends and coworkers as a dedicated public servant.

David Remington Sr., 58, of Acton was a former Portland firefighter and had been a volunteer with the Shapleigh Fire Department for the past four years.

“He was one of the most active guys in the agency,” said Capt. Rob Dobson. “He would show up, it didn’t matter what time, what weather, if he had the flu. He was dedicated as dedicated comes.”

The York County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the crash to determine why Remington lost control of his vehicle on Shapleigh Corner Road.

Police say Remington was responding to a rollover on Owls Nest Road just before 10 p.m. He was headed down a hill and into a turn on Shapleigh Corner Road when the accident occurred.

“That’s a horrible road,” said Maj. William King of the York County Sheriff’s Office. “It kind of goes down and curves. It’s tough to negotiate.”

The 2005 Chevrolet 1500 pickup rolled several times and hit a tree, authorities say. Remington was ejected, and pronounced dead at the scene.

Maj. William King could not say Tuesday whether Remington was wearing a seatbelt or how fast he was going. There was no indication that either alcohol or drugs were involved, he said.

South Berwick police are assisting with the accident reconstruction.

King praised the professionalism of the Shapleigh rescue workers who were forced to respond to an accident in which one of their own was killed.

Remington worked for the Portland Fire Department from 1974 to 1984.

“The City of Portland was fortunate to have David as a member of the Portland Fire Department for ten years and we are incredibly appreciative of his contribution to the city and his efforts to keep our community safe,” said a statement from Portland Fire Chief Fred LaMontagne, extending the department’s condolences to Remington’s family.

Serving on the fire rescue squad in Shapleigh was something Remington did out of devotion.

“Once you become a fireman in one part of life, it’s in your blood. It never leaves you,” Dobson said.

Dobson described Remington as “the laid-back guy with the smile on his face. There wasn’t a moment in time he couldn’t come in and brighten anyone’s darkest day.”

Dobson said Remington’s death, and the fact that it occurred as he responded to a call, has hit members of the company especially hard.

“We’re close friends inside and outside the department,” he said.

“There’s often a lot of frustration throughout the grieving process, people being upset and wondering how this could have been prevented,” he said. “At this point in the incident, we don’t have those answers.”

Visiting hours will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Hobbs Funeral Home on Route 1 in Scarborough. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the South Portland Nazarene Church, the corner of Highland Avenue and Nutter Road. An obituary will run in Thursday’s paper.

 

Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at: dhench@pressherald.com

 

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