Newly hired deputy dies in off duty accident
The law enforcement community is saddened this week with loss of a young Presque Isle County sheriff?s deputy in an off-duty accident Wednesday in Alpena County. Brandon C. Soule, 24, originally from Traverse City, had recently made his home in Rogers City after being hired at the sheriff?s department less than three weeks ago. He was hired to replace a retiring officer.
?As you can imagine, it was a great shock,? said sheriff Bob Paschke Thursday morning. ?Everybody here (Sheriff?s Department) is just kind of hanging in there. You don’t know how to react. Here?s a guy who does a tour in Iraq, comes home safe and then something like this happens.?
Soule was an active member with the United States Army National Guard, having served a year in ?Operation Iraqi Freedom.?
?We only had him with us for less than three weeks, but he was very quickly becoming a part of our family,? said Paschke. ?He was so polite and energetic. ?Monday morning, I asked him how he was doing? He said, “Just great, I have a great job, my dream job, the one I always wanted?. I gave him his oath to be a deputy sheriff on Monday, and he was just so happy. He shook my hand and said ?Thank you for this opportunity.? ?
Paschke added that Soule?s first day in uniform was late last week. ?He came into my office, and being in the military as he was, he stood at attention and asked ?Well how do I look?? All the creases were pressed, his brass was polished and he looked good.?
ACCORDING TO a Michigan State Police press release, troopers were dispatched to a two-vehicle accident that occurred on M-32 near Oakridge Drive.
The accident occurred when a motorcycle being driven by Soule pulled out from the parking lot of Huron Shores Fellowship Church into the pa
According to Tpr. Michael Lorenz, Soule had just purchased a 2007 Honda from Don?s Tractor & Equipment Sales and left the business two minutes before the accident. He drove a mile west of the business to the church parking where he was turning around or just pulling out. Investigators are still trying to put all the pieces together of what happened.
Soule was pronounced dead at the scene. Neither occupant of the other vehicle was injured.
No funeral arrangements were available as of Thursday morning.
Deputies from the Alpena County Sheriff?s Department, Alpena City Ambulance and Wilson Township Fire Department assisted troopers.