The first responders to the scene on Salt Springs Road had no idea one of their own was involved, dispatched initially as a two vehicle crash with entrapment.  It was only after they arrived police and fire crews realized off-duty Detective Sergeant Rob Deichman was the victim.

Police Chief Jimmy Hughes says Deichman had been assigned to the department's Accident Investigation Unit, and was on call at the time.  We're told he had been out with friends and was apparently on his way home when the crash occurred around three twenty Thursday morning.

Investigators say a semi driven by a Berlin Center man was coming out of a private driveway and pulled into the path of Deichman's car.  The victim may have never even seen the truck, there don't appear to be any skid marks on the road, and police claim this stretch of Salt Springs would have very dark at that time of the morning.  For now, accident reconstruction experts with the State Highway Patrol are handling the investigation.

Meantime, police admit they will be checking both drivers to determine if either had anything unusual in his system at the time.

One of the unanswered questions was whether or not Sergeant Deichman was wearing his seat belt.  Initial reports from the State Patrol claim he was not buckled-up, but later Troopers admitted they're still not one hundred percent certain of that, thinking rescuers might have removed the belt before police arrived.

In the meantime, the chief says counseling will be made available for those friends and co-workers to help get through the grieving process.