‘He would help you in a heartbeat:’ Army veteran killed in car crash during Hurricane Francine

HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX/Gray News) - A U.S. Army veteran killed in a crash during Hurricane Francine was laid to rest Wednesday.

Dalton Emmons was remembered fondly by friends and family. They described the 31-year-old as selfless, caring, and loving.

“He had a big smile, always helping, always there. He would help you in a heartbeat,” older brother Dillon Emmons said. “His smile was the biggest thing in the world to me. He was the godfather to my oldest son, and my oldest daughter is named after him.”

Dalton Emmons was home on Sept. 11 with his mom and dad as Francine brought strong wind and heavy rain to southern Mississippi. That afternoon, he received a phone call from his lifelong friend, Jeremy Cooper, who was riding out the storm with his pregnant wife.

“I was concerned about losing power and not having anything to keep her cool or calm in the situation. So, I went to buy a generator,” Jeremy Cooper said. “My brother was working, my dad was busy, and I knew if I can count on anyone to help me load this generator, it was Dalton.”

Dalton Emmons drove to Jeremy Cooper’s home during the storm and helped set up the generator. After the two shared a meal, Dalton Emmons headed home.

“I told him, ‘Dalton, you know you can stay here and ride out the storm. He said, ‘No, I want to go home,’” Jeremy Cooper said. “I said, ‘OK buddy, be careful.’ When he left, he was smiling, like he always was.”

Dalton Emmons was driving east on Dummy Line Road, about a mile from Highway 603, when his truck veered off the road and flipped over.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His brother was in Grenada, Mississippi, for National Guard training at the time.

“I called my pawpaw and he said Dalton got in a car wreck, it was bad. I said, ‘Oh god, what hospital is he at?’ He said, ‘He’s not at a hospital, Dillon. He’s gone,’” Dillon Emmons said.

Dillon Emmons then drove south to Hancock County, where he met with Jeremy and Jeffrey Cooper. The three lifelong friends said they sat on the side of Dummy Line Road and cried while Francine continued storming.

For Dillon Emmons, the loss is especially hard, as he bonded with his brother through their time in the U.S. military.

“I could always just call him in the middle of the night and say, ‘Dalton, I don’t feel so good, can I talk to you?’ All these deployments and stuff I had, I hadn’t been going to behavioral health because I had Dalton.

I would call Dalton, he would wake up at two in the morning just to talk to me. We’d get off the phone and he’d say, ‘Dillon, are you alright?’ And I’d say, ‘Yeah, thank you.’ When you’re young, you think I love you is silly. But Dalton and me knew that anything could happen, so we always said, ‘Hey man, I love you, see you next time.’”

Dalton Emmons’ best friend Jeffrey Cooper is also taking the loss hard.

“We were more like brothers,” he said. “He was a great person. We met in second grade and have been close ever since. Hunting, fishing, anything, really. Dalton was there for all my life. Memories I’ll treasure forever. I had plans of growing old with Dalton. It sucks, but it’s God’s will, and I’ll never forget him as long as I’m here. It’s my job to keep his legacy going.”

As the parking lot of Riemann Funeral Home filled up with vehicles, and the outpouring of support displayed on social media, Dillon Emmons said he was overwhelmed to see how much his brother meant to so many people.

“I just can’t believe Dalton was a small-town hero to all these people,” he said. “And Dalton wouldn’t believe it either. He would always turn blood red, red as a berry. All these people, he just wanted to help them.”

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