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Published in the Anderson Independent Mail - September 25, 2009
If you noticed the presence of a larger number than normal of law enforcement vehicles Wednesday in Anderson, you weren’t alone. Some were marked with the city or county represented, some were not, and even the unmarked cars had blue lights quietly flashing. At different times during the day, some were in groups in parking lots, others were in turn lanes along Clemson Boulevard. All were here to pay tribute to one of their own, Lance Cpl. Jonathan S. Nash, a South Carolina state trooper who died last weekend. His death, although not during the apprehension of a suspect, was still during the line of duty — a demonstration of one officer’s respect for another. He was killed while escorting a memorial ride on Highway 1 in Camden in honor of another officer, Trooper Hardy Godbold, who died on that same road 17 years ago.
Nash, who lived in Union, is survived by his wife and 14-year-old daughter, and his parents, who live in Anderson. Nash grew up here and graduated from Oakwood Christian School in 1987. And even all these years later, after a stint in the U.S. Marine Corps and many years away from this community, those who spoke to our reporter about him did so with fondness and respect, even a little laughter as they remembered high school days. He was described as “an All-American guy” by one old friend. Another told how Nash had “the ability to bring everybody together.” But perhaps the finest compliment was from a classmate who is now an assistant principal at T.L. Hanna High School, a man whose own parents are surely proud of their son’s accomplishments. He said that Nash “was just what you want your son to grow up to be.”
So many people wanted to pay their respects to the 15-year veteran of the state patrol that his funeral was held in the Civic Center of Anderson. Many of those in attendance were military veterans. Others were members of law enforcement who know, just as their families know, that every day they leave their homes there is always the possibility they will not return.
We all know that, of course. Life is a constant surprise. But for law enforcement officers, it’s more than mere fate that plays a role in how their lives might end. A routine traffic stop can turn deadly. The attempt to capture a suspected criminal can go awry. Trying to save the life of another can result in the ultimate sacrifice.
But they do it and do it gladly, sometimes for the simple reason that someone has to, someone has to step up and protect the public, even at his or her own risk.
Fortunately, most of an officer’s days are routine. Nash likely thought last Saturday would be one of those days.
It wasn’t. And so the lives of his friends and family will never be the same. The lives of all members of law enforcement have changed as well, including what might surely cross their minds as the next shift begins.
For even those officers who did not know Nash personally knew him. He was one of theirs.
And he was one of ours.
Published on WYFF - September 24, 2009
Lance Cpl. John Nash Memorialized In Anderson
ANDERSON, S.C. -- Family, friends and fellow officers gathered Wednesday morning to remember a South Carolina state trooper killed during a memorial motorcycle ride to honor another trooper who was killed in the line of duty.
Lance Cpl. Jonathan S. Nash, 41, died last Saturday morning near Columbia when a car accidentally pulled in front of him during the procession.
Nash's funeral was Wednesday morning at the Civic Center of Anderson, with burial following in the M.J. "Dolly" Cooper Veterans Cemetery. More than 250 South Carolina troopers attended the funeral, along with troopers from California, Georgia, Illinois and North Carolina and many from the Marine Corp. League. It's estimated that nearly 800 people attended the funeral.
Trooper Michael Looney sang "Sweet Beulah Land" and "How Much More" during the service.
"A man is someone with integrity, values, morals and honesty," said S.C. Highway Patrol Lt. Gil Owens. "John was that man. The day -- Sept 19, 2009 -- is significant to all of us. The location was Camden, S.C., on U.S. 1, where John's heavenly father called him home."
Owens said, "Proverbs 27:17 (says) 'As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.' John sharpened my life. God bless you."
Nash was escorting a group of motorcycles during a ride for Trooper H. Merl Godbold, who was killed in the line of duty by a drunk driver in 1992. Godbold's family has organized the ride in his honor since 2006.
Nash attended Oakwood Christian School in the '80s, and is remembered as a standout athlete and a natural leader. He joined the Highway Patrol in 1994 after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1986 to 1993.
"We've lost one of our good men -- a man with integrity, a man with pride a man who loved what he did, and that is ride a motorcycle unit for the South Carolina Highway Patrol," said SCHP Col. Kenny Lancaster."
At the funeral, Lancaster said, "It is with deepest sadness and regret that we are here today to say good bye to our friend."
"He was the epitome of what a man should be," said the Rev. Benny Bagwell. "He just had the ability to bring everybody together. He was a credit to Oakwood Christian School. He was a credit to U.S. Marine Corp. He was a credit to South Carolina Highway Patrol, and he was a credit to the Lord Jesus Christ, who was his personal savior. I'm honored to have known him and had a small part in his life. May God bless him."
Nash is survived by a daughter, his parents, a brother and a sister. The family asked that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to a fund for Nash's teenage daughter.
Memorials can be made to the Andrea Nash Educational Fund, c/o Peoples Bank, 1921 E. Greenville St., Anderson, S.C. 29621.
Published in the Anderson Independent Mail - September 23, 2009
ANDERSON — Hundreds of people stood quiet for nearly an hour as they waited for the funeral procession carrying Lance Cpl. Jonathan S. Nash to pull into the Anderson Civic Center.
The Highway Patrol trooper and Gulf War veteran was killed in a wreck Saturday while escorting a memorial ride in honor of another trooper who died in 1992. Both troopers were killed on the same road in Camden.
About 250 men and women in uniform wore black bands over their badges. Law enforcement officers came to Anderson from agencies throughout the state and as far away as California. They all stood at parade rest, straight and still, in several rows.
The only noise outside was the sound of leather dress shoes touching down on the pavement, the occasional slammed car door and eventually the low hum of the two limousines carrying the family.
A trooper called hundreds of fellow law enforcement and military members and veterans to attention, breaking the lingering silence for only a moment.
Nash’s flag-draped coffin was pulled from the hearse. A family member cried out.
Between 900 and 1,000 people went inside for the funeral, said Civic Center director Charles Wyatt. The others lingered outside and still more lined the driveway with flags in hand.
The organ played and was accompanied by the crisp marching of the law enforcement officers filing in row after row after row.
They removed their South Carolina Highway Patrol ball caps or drill instructor hats, Marine Corps League forage hats and helmets.
“It’s a sad and momentous occasion today,” said Col. Kenny Lancaster Jr, who was one of Nash’s supervisors. “There are many heavy hearts across our state and nation today. He knew that today may come too soon. But he did not live in fear and he was determined to make South Carolina a better place. He succeeded.”
Lancaster said Nash was the rare officer who could write someone a ticket and the person would want to shake his hand afterward.
When Nash went into training for the Highway Patrol in 1994 his roommate was Gil Owens, now a lieutenant.
Owens said he remembered the advice he got from Nash during the rigorous training sessions.
Owens told Nash that he could handle the push-ups, sit-ups and the running.
“But I don’t know if I can handle the rest,” Owens said. Nash, who had been a Marine for six years, told Owens to simply follow his lead.
When the three-and-a-half month training was up, it was Owens who noticed something in Nash’s face.
“I said, ‘What’s wrong?’ and he (Nash) said, ‘Where else do you get to work out, run, they feed you and you get paid?’ ”
With the exception of his wife and daughter, military and police work were what Nash lived for, even when he was in high school. Nash attended Oakwood Christian Academy in Anderson and he lived in Union.
The Rev. Benny Bagwell, Oakwood’s administrator when Nash attended, said he gets nervous when he sees the flashing blue lights of the police, and if others were honest, they would say they get sweaty, too.
“Today I was very comforted by the lights,” Bagwell said.
More than 200 police cars and about 75 motorcycles filled the parking lot outside the Civic Center. All of the lights that comforted Bagwell were turned on simultaneously when the funeral procession began its path to M.J. “Dolly” Cooper Veterans Cemetery.
At the cemetery, quiet ruled the air. This time it was broken by a bagpipe tune and three rifle volleys.
It was the biggest funeral yet at the Cooper cemetery, which opened in May 2008, said Larry Montandon, superintendent of the Anderson burial ground.
There were so many cars at the cemetery that several were backed up on Belton Highway.
Nash’s coffin was taken by horse-drawn caisson, accompanied by a Civil War tradition of a riderless horse with the boots facing backward in the stirrups.
Tradition has the boot facing backward to give the officer one last chance to march with, and see, his troops.
One of the final moments of silence was broken by one final call for Nash over the scanner and walkie-talkie system: “Caller 47 is 10-42.”
Nash will not be called to service anymore. He was the 48th trooper to die in the line of duty since 1930 when the Highway Patrol first took to the roadways.
The dignity and silence of the solemn day would have pleased Nash, who was quiet in school but competitive in athletics, said Bagwell.
“He wouldn’t have asked for it or wanted something like this, but he was so honest and brave that he deserved it,” said one friend from Oakwood.
Published on WSPA - September 23, 2009
An estimated 250 South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers and law officers from across the country attended the funeral service for trooper Jonathan S. Nash on Wednesday.
Nash, 41, died Saturday on U.S. 1 in Camden while escorting a charity ride in honor of Trooper Hardy M. Godbold who was killed in the line of duty in 1992.
South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and law officers from North Carolina, Illinois and California along with members of the Patriot Guard and the Marine Corp League attended the service at the Civic Center of Anderson.
Nash, a resident of Union County, joined the Highway Patrol in 1994.
He is survived by his parents, Dan and George-Ann Nash, both of Anderson and a 14 year old daughter.
Nash graduated from Oakwood Christian School (Anderson) in 1987. He graduated from Lander College in 1993.
The Highway Patrol says Nash was on U.S. 1 on September 19 headed north when the collision occurred.
There were six Highway Patrol motor units and two HP Patrol cars with their lights activated, escorting a group of motorcycles from Camden Middle School to Bishopville and back to Camden. Godbold’s family has organized the ride in his honor since 2006.
Burial will follow the Civic Center service in the M.J. “Dolly” Cooper Veterans Center.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Andrea Nash Educational Fund, c/o Peoples Bank, 1921 E. Greenville Street, Anderson, SC 29621
Published in the Anderson Independent Mail - September 21, 2009
Funeral details
What: Public funeral for Lance Cpl. Jonathan Nash
When: 11 a.m. Wednesday
Where: Anderson County Civic Center, 3027 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
ANDERSON — Law enforcement officials from across the state will be coming to Anderson on Wednesday to pay their respects to Lance Cpl. Jonathan S. Nash, a graduate of the city’s Oakwood Christian Academy.
Nash was killed while escorting a Saturday morning memorial ride in honor of another fallen trooper who died 17 years ago on the same road.
The funeral for Nash will be at Anderson County’s Civic Center, because Nash’s Oakwood Baptist Church does not have the capacity for what South Carolina Highway Patrol officials expect to be more than 1,000 mourners.
Nash, 41, worked for the Highway Patrol for 15 years after serving as a U.S. Marine during the Gulf War. The memorial ride down Highway 1 in Camden was for Trooper Hardy Godbold, who died in a collision on the same road during a 1992 pursuit.
Nash’s parents live in Anderson. He is survived by his wife and 14-year-old daughter. Nash lived in Union; he was born in Florida.
“He was the all-American guy,” said Chili Childers, who went to school with Nash at Oakwood Christian Academy. “He was the epitome of what a man should be, he really was,” said another classmate, Chris Bowen. “He just had the ability to bring everybody together.”
Godbold’s family organized the annual charity ride in 2006. On the ride this weekend, six police motorcycles and two police cars were escorting several other motorcycles when a vehicle pulled out of a parking lot and struck Nash’s motorcycle.
Nash grew up in Anderson and graduated from Oakwood in 1987.
Ron Wilkins, assistant administrator of the school when Nash attended, said he remembers the trooper as an exceptional athlete.
“He was always very intense, particularly when he played sports,” Wilkins said.
Wilkins said Nash was the second of 29 people in the 1987 graduating class to have died too young.
The Rev. Benny Bagwell, who was Oakwood’s administrator while Nash was a student, talked with Nash 11 years ago at the funeral for the other 1987 graduate.
“We talked in the parking lot that day about how he was proud to be a trooper,” Bagwell said. “He would have made any man proud to have him as a son.”
Nash was a freshman at Oakwood during Wilkins’ first year there, 1983.
“He was a little bit unusual because most of the time ninth-graders didn’t play varsity-level sports,” Wilkins said.
But Nash played varsity soccer and basketball as starter for four years at the small school, Wilkins said.
Childers recalls meeting with Nash a few years ago to relive their time on the basketball court and talk about their lives.
“I can’t say enough about him. He was one of the nicest guys you ever wanted to be around, but he knew how to compete,” Childers said. “He was always in the front, always leading the charge.”
While Nash was active in sports, and voted most athletic boy as a senior, Wilkins said, he was quiet in the classroom.
“If all of them were like him I wouldn’t have a job,” said Bowen, an assistant principal at T.L. Hanna High School. “He was just what you want your son to grow up to be.”
Bagwell said Nash was always the military type and appeared in school plays as a Roman soldier.
Nash joined the Marines immediately after he graduated from high school and left the military in 1993 with a degree from Lander College.
Childers and Bowen said joining the Marines was Nash’s goal from the time they first met him.
“From the absolute moment I met him in eighth grade he was always our leader, our captain,” Bowen said.
“When his service was done and he had spent time in Desert Storm, it was no surprise at all that he went to do something in uniform,” Childers said.
Nash had been a member of the patrol’s motorcycle team since 2004. The fatal collision happened in Kershaw County, but at the request of the Kershaw sheriff, Richland County sheriff’s deputies are handling the investigation.
“His sudden death is a heartbreaking loss for the entire law enforcement community,” said Highway Patrol director Mark Keel, in a statement.
Bagwell, who will give a sermon in the funeral, said he has looked back at Oakwood’s yearbook, to the page where seniors gave their “last will and testament.”
Nash was typically brief and to the point. After the usual “I, John Nash, being of sound mind and body, do hereby leave,” the only words were the enthusiastic Marine greeting: “Ooh-rah!”
Published on WJBF-TV - September 21, 2009
COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Highway Patrol announces that a state trooper has been killed in a motor vehicle collision in Kershaw County Saturday morning.
Jonathan S. Nash, 41, died Saturday around 10:00 a.m. on U.S. 1 in Camden while escorting a charity ride in honor of Trooper Hardy M. Godbold, who was killed in the line of duty in 1992.
Nash was on U.S. 1 headed north when the collision occurred. The collision is being investigated by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office at the request of the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office.
There were six Highway Patrol motor units and two Highway Patrol Patrol cars with their lights activated, escorting a group of motorcycles from Camden Middle School to Bishopville and back to Camden. Godbold’s family has organized the ride in his honor since 2006.
“The South Carolina Department of Public Safety extends its deepest condolences to Lance Corporal Nash’s family,” said SCDPS Director Mark Keel. “His sudden death is a heartbreaking loss for the entire law enforcement community.”
“Lance Corporal Nash was an excellent trooper who had earned the distinction of serving on the motor unit,” said Highway Patrol Col. Kenny Lancaster Jr. “Trooper Nash was well-loved and would be the first to step up and help anyone. This is a tragedy compounded because Lance Corporal Nash was killed during a charity ride to honor another trooper killed on the same roadway.”
He has served on the ACE Team Motor Unit since 2004.
Nash, a resident of Union County, joined the Highway Patrol in 1994. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1986-1993. He is a native of Manatee, Florida.
He is survived by his parents, Dan and George-Ann Nash, both of Anderson, SC, and a 14-year-old daughter. Nash graduated from Oakwood Christian School (Anderson) in 1987. He graduated from Lander College in 1993.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol announces the following arrangements for Lance Corporal Nash: who was killed in a line-of-duty collision on Saturday, September 19.
Visitation:
When: 5 p.m.-7 p.m., Tuesday, September 22
Where: Sullivan-King Mortuary, Northeast Chapel, 3205 North Highway 81, Anderson.
Funeral services:
When: Funeral services begin at 11 a.m., Wednesday, September 23
Where: Civic Center of Anderson, 3027 MLK Jr. Blvd. (formerly Mall Road). Click here (for directions);
Burial will follow in the M.J. “Dolly” Cooper Veterans Cemetery, 140 Inway Dr. (adjacent to the Richard Campbell State Veterans Nursing Home on Belton Highway).
Memorials: In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Andrea Nash Educational Fund, c/o Peoples Bank, 1921 E. Greenville Street, Anderson, SC 29621.
Published on WYFF - September 21, 2009
Trooper John Nash Killed During Memorial Ride
ANDERSON, S.C. -- The Upstate is mourning the loss a South Carolina trooper who was killed over the weekend during a memorial ride for another trooper.
Trooper John Nash grew up in Anderson. He was killed when a car pulled in front of his motorcycle near Columbia.
WYFF News 4's Tim Waller talked to Nash's former high school principal and a classmate who said though he attended Oakwood Christian School in the '80s, Nash has never been forgotten.
"John was always a very quiet individual in the classroom," former Assistant Principal Dr. Ron Wilkins said. "But on the sports fields, he played soccer and he played basketball. He was very intense."
Nash was the captain of both teams. He was big, and was a natural leader, according to his friend and former classmate, Rachel Gambrell.
"They thought he was one of the coaches when he went to soccer try-outs because he already had the full beard. And he was actually in eighth grade when we met him," she said.
So, no one was surprised when, after serving in the Marines, Nash returned to become a South Carolina trooper.
"It was just par for the course with John," Gambrell said.
Nash was killed when a 79-year-old woman pulled in front of his motorcycle near Camden.
South Carolina Highway Patrol Col. Kenny Lancaster said, "We've lost one of our good men -- a man with integrity, a man with pride. A man who loved what he did, and that is ride a motorcycle unit for the South Carolina Highway Patrol."
The news was shocking to many in the Upstate who are now praying for Nash's family.
"It was very upsetting," Gambrell said. "It was shock and immediately thoughts of his family and his daughter. His daughter and my daughter are the same age, so immediately it was just thoughts of that."
"It's the loss of a life that was precious to so many," she said.
A memorial fund has been set up at the People's Bank in Anderson for Nash's 14-year-old daughter.
There will be a service for Nash at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at the Civic Center of Anderson.
Published in the Greenville News - September 20, 2009
A state trooper with Upstate ties died Saturday while helping escort a charity ride in memory of another trooper who was killed in the line of duty on the same road in 1992, authorities said.
Jonathan S. Nash, 41, was headed north on U.S. 1 in Camden about 10 a.m. at the time of the collision, according to the state Department of Public Safety.
A 79-year-old woman driving south on U.S. 1 struck Nash’s motorcycle as she made a left turn into a supermarket parking lot, said Richland County Sheriff’s Deputy Monique Mack.
While the wreck occurred in Kershaw County, authorities from that county asked the Richland County Sheriff’s Department to take over the investigation, according to the Public Safety Department.
Six Highway Patrol motorcycles and two patrol cars were escorting a group of motorcycles from Camden Middle School to Bishopville and back at the time of the wreck, authorities said.
It was a ride organized by the family of Trooper Hardy M. Godbold, who was killed when a pickup struck his patrol car, authorities said. The pickup driver was later charged with felony driving under the influence, authorities said.
Nash, who lived in Union County, graduated from Oakwood Christian School in Anderson in 1987 and is the son of Dan and George-Ann Nash, both of Anderson, authorities said. He is survived by a 14-year-old daughter.
A native of Manatee, Fla., Nash served in the Marines from 1986-1993, authorities said.
Authorities did not release the name of the woman who hit Nash, and no charges have been filed, Mack said. The investigation is continuing, she said.
Published in the Bradenton Herald - September 20, 2009
CAMDEN, S.C. - A South Carolina state trooper — a native of the Bradenton area — was killed Saturday morning during a memorial motorcycle ride in honor of another trooper killed in the line of duty.
Jonathan S. Nash, 41, died when his motorcycle was hit by a car on U.S. 1 in Camden, a Department of Public Safety press release said.
Nash was part of a Highway Patrol escort for a charity ride in honor of Trooper Hardy M. Godbold, who was killed in the line of duty in 1992. Godbold’s family has organized the ride since 2006.
Six Highway Patrol motor units and two patrol cars with their lights activated were heading north on U.S. 1, escorting a group of motorcycles from Camden Middle School to Bishopville.
Nash was hit by a 79-year-old woman driving a southbound Toyota Camry, said Lt. Chris Cowan of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. The driver was turning left into the IGA parking lot on the four-lane highway when she hit the trooper.
The collision is being investigated by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department at the request of the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office.
“Lt. Cpl. Nash was an excellent trooper,” Highway Patrol Col. Kenny Lancaster Jr. said in the press release. “This is a tragedy compounded because Lt. Cpl. Nash was killed during a charity ride to honor another trooper killed on the same roadway.”
Nash, a resident of Union County, joined the Highway Patrol in 1994.
He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1986-93 and was a native of the Bradenton area in Florida, the release said.
He is survived by his parents, Dan and George-Ann Nash, both of Anderson, and a 14-year-old daughter.
Funeral arrangements will be released by the highway patrol.
Published in the Spartanburg Herald Journal - September 20, 2009
Union officer dies while escorting bikers in Camden
A South Carolina state trooper from Union County was killed Saturday morning while escorting a charity ride to honor a slain officer.
Jonathan Nash, 41, of Union died about 10 a.m. Saturday in a collision in Camden, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Nash was escorting a charity ride for Trooper Hardy M. Goldbold, who was killed in the line of duty in 1992.
Nash was headed north on Highway 1 when the collision happened, according to Public Safety authorities. Officials said six Highway Patrol motor units and Highway Patrol cars with lights activated were escorting a group of motorcycles from Camden Middle School to Bishopville and back in honor of Goldbold in the third annual ride.
"The South Carolina Department of Public Safety extends its deepest condolences to Lance Cpl. Nash's family," Public Safety Director Mark Keel said. "His sudden death is a heartbreaking loss for the entire law enforcement community."
Nash joined the Highway Patrol in 1994. He served in the Marine Corps from 1986 to 1993, according to Public Safety officials.
"Lance Corporal Nash was an excellent trooper who had earned the distinction of serving on the motor unit," Col. Kerry Lancaster Jr. said. "Trooper Nash was well-loved and would be the first to step up and help anyone. This is a tragedy compounded because Lance Corporal Nash was killed during a charity ride to honor another trooper killed on the roadway."
Published on WACH News - September 19, 2009
South Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper Jonathan Nash was killed while honoring his fallen colleague Saturday.
Colonel Kenny Lancaster said, "A man with integrity, a man with pride, a man that loved what he did."
Nash was riding in a motorcade on US Highway 1 in Camden for charity ride honoring another trooper killed on the same roadway.
Colonel Lancaster continues, "They were raising money for senior for scholarships... is what they were doing today."
A 79-year-old driver attempted to make a left turn, but she hit the trooper, who was a mile into the memorial ride.
Lt. Chris Cowan with the Richland County Sheriff's Department said, "She made that turn into the Trooper, striking him and driving him through the intersection."
According to Col. Lancaster, Nash was a 15-year veteran with the Highway Patrol, who planned to stay with the motorcycle unit until his retirement.
Col. Lancaster explained, "I assured him that's where he would be, and here we are today. It's just a terrible tragedy for our agency."
Other troopers remembered him by saying, "He was a great guy. I talked to someone just earlier today, and they were talking about every time they saw John he was smiling."
Another colleague remembered, "He knew what his mission was and that was to save the lives of people who drive our highways, and unfortunately he lost his life on our highways."
The Richland County Sheriff's Department is investigating the incident because Kershaw County deputies were involved in the ride along with the State Highway Patrol.
Currently, no charges have been filed against the elderly driver.
Trooper Jonathan Nash, who was a resident of Union County, is survived by his parents and a 14-year-old daughter.
Published on WTOC - Savannah, GA - September 19, 2009
CAMDEN, SC (WIS) - The South Carolina Highway Patrol announces that a state trooper has been killed in a motor vehicle collision in Kershaw County this morning.
Jonathan S. Nash, 41, died today around 10 a.m. on U.S. 1 in Camden while escorting a charity ride in honor of Trooper Hardy M. Godbold who was killed in the line of duty in 1992.
Nash was on U.S. 1 headed north when the collision occurred. The collision is being investigated by the Richland County Sheriff's Office at the request of the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office.
There were six Highway Patrol motor units and two HP Patrol cars with their lights activated, escorting a group of motorcycles from Camden Middle School to Bishopville and back to Camden. Godbold's family has organized the ride in his honor since 2006.
"The South Carolina Department of Public Safety extends its deepest condolences to L/Cpl. Nash's family," said SCDPS Director Mark Keel. "His sudden death is a heartbreaking loss for the entire law enforcement community."
"L/Cpl. Nash was an excellent trooper who had earned the distinction of serving on the motor unit," said Highway Patrol Col. Kenny Lancaster Jr. "Trooper Nash was well-loved and would be the first to step up and help anyone. This is a tragedy compounded because L/Cpl. Nash was killed during a charity ride to honor another trooper killed on the same roadway."
He has served on the ACE Team Motor Unit since 2004.
Nash, a resident of Union County, joined the Highway Patrol in 1994. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1986-1993. He is a native of Manatee, Florida.
He is survived by his parents, Dan and George-Ann Nash, both of Anderson, SC, and a 14 year old daughter. Nash graduated from Oakwood Christian School in 1987. He graduated from Lander College in 1993.
Funeral arrangements will be released by the Highway Patrol at the wishes of his family.
Published on WSPA, SC - September 19, 2009
A South Carolina state trooper from Union County was killed Saturday morning while escorting a charity ride to honor a slain officer.
The South Carolina Department of Public Safety says that 41-year old Jonathan Nash, of Union, was killed around 10 am Saturday in a collision in Camden as he was escorting a charity ride for Trooper Hardy M. Goldbold, who was killed in the line of duty in 1992.
According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, Nash was headed north on Highway 1 when the collision happened. Officials say that there were six Highway Patrol motor units and Highway Patrol cars with lights activated while escorting a group of motorcycles to Camden Middle School to Bishopville and back to Camden in honor of the third annual ride.
“The South Carolina Department of Public Safety extends its deepest condolences to Lance Cpl. Nash’s family,“ said Mark Keel, Department of Public Safety Director. “His sudden death is a heartbreaking loss for the entire law enforcement community.“
Nash joined the Highway Patrol in 1994. He served in the United States Marines from 1986-93, according to Public Safety officials.
“L/Cpl. Nash was an excellent rooper who had earned the distinction of serving on the motor unit,“ said Col. Kerry Lancaster Jr. “Trooper Nash was well-loved and would be the first to step up and help anyone. This is a tragedy compounded because L/Cpl. Nash was killed during a charity ride to honor another trooper killed on the roadway.“
Published on WMBF - September 19, 2009
CAMDEN, SC (WIS) - A state trooper was killed in a traffic accident Saturday morning in Camden during a memorial ride for another fallen trooper.
Kershaw County Sheriff's Capt. David Thomley said 41-year-old Jonathan Nash was driving the lead motorcycle on a memorial ride for Trooper H. Merl Godbold.
Six Highway Patrol motorcycles and two HP patrol cars with their lights activated, escorting a group of motorcycles from Camden Middle School to Bishopville and back to Camden.
Thomley said Nash was hit by a car pulling out of a parking lot onto Highway 1 in Camden, and was killed.
"L/Cpl. Nash was an excellent trooper who had earned the distinction of serving on the motor unit," said Highway Patrol Col. Kenny Lancaster, Jr. "Trooper Nash was well-loved and would be the first to step up and help anyone. This is a tragedy compounded because L/Cpl. Nash was killed during a charity ride to honor another trooper killed on the same roadway."
Nash, a resident of Union County, joined the Highway Patrol in 1994. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1986-1993. He is a native of Manatee, Florida.
He is survived by his parents, Dan and George-Ann Nash, both of Anderson, SC, and a 14 year old daughter.
The collision is being investigated by the Richland County Sheriff's Department at the request of the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office. Thomley wasn't sure about the possibility of any arrests in the wreck.
Trooper H. M. Godbold was killed in the line of duty by a drunk driver in February 1992. Godbold's family has organized the ride in his honor since 2006.
Funeral arrangements for Nash will be released by the Highway Patrol at the wishes of his family.
Published on Officer.com - September 19th, 2009
South Carolina state trooper Jonathan Nash, 41, was killed in a traffic accident Saturday morning during a memorial ride for another fallen trooper, WIS-TV reports.
Nash was driving the lead motorcycle during a memorial ride for Trooper H. Merl Godbold, who was killed in the line of duty in 1992, and whose family has organized the ride in his honor since 2006.
The incident reportedly occurred when a 79-year-old woman pulled out of a parking lot onto Highway 1 in Camden, S.C. and hit Nash's motorcycle.
"L/Cpl. Nash was an excellent trooper who had earned the distinction of serving on the motor unit," said Highway Patrol Col. Kenny Lancaster, Jr.
"Trooper Nash was well-loved and would be the first to step up and help anyone. This is a tragedy compounded because L/Cpl. Nash was killed during a charity ride to honor another trooper killed on the same roadway."
In Memory of Lance Corporal Jonathan S. Nash
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