MADISON TWP. — A Preble County man was killed Thursday night in a two-vehicle crash on Ohio 122 near Michael Road.
Darrell E. “Rocky” Deem Jr., 35, of Creekview Drive, West Elkton, was traveling west on Ohio 122 at about 9:55 p.m. in a 2002 Pontiac Bonneville when his car was struck head-on by a 2004 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by Steven T. Cook of Mosiman Road, according to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office and coroner’s investigator Clint Nigg.
Bystanders attempted to help Deem with CPR, but were unsuccessful, Nigg said. Deem was pronounced dead at the scene. Deem was on his way home from work at the distribution center of Hayneedle.com in Monroe, according to his sister, Peggy Deem.
Cook, 51, was transported to Atrium Medical Center in Middletown and was later taken by medical helicopter to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton where he is in fair condition today, according to a hospital spokesman.
A preliminary investigation indicates Cook’s eastbound truck went left of center, striking Deem’s car. The crash remains under investigation. Charges have not yet been filed, but initial investigation indicates alcohol may have been a factor, according to the sheriff’s office.
Peggy Deem said she was 18 when Rocky was born. She remembers well how her “baby brother” got his nickname. “Dad said he’s a ‘chip off the old block’ and he has been Rocky ever since,” Peggy Deem said.
Thursday night, Deem had just received a promotion and went out with a friend to dinner. He was on his way home to his fiancee, Melinda Dixon, when the crash occurred, she said.
“It helps that I know he was happy,” Peggy Deem said.
She added her brother was a NASCAR fan and “was the kindest person in the world.”
Deem’s older sister, Theresa Deem, said her brother was a caring man who was always looking out for other people. She’s disabled and cannot drive, so Deem would visit her Middletown home every few days to bring money, milk and to take her grocery shopping.
“He would drive 50 miles out of his way just so he could give me $10 for something I needed,” Theresa Deem said. “He’s done everything for me.”
The last time she saw her brother was three days ago when he brought her cigarettes, Theresa Deem said.
“The last thing he said to me was ‘behave yourself,’” she said with a laugh. “You’d think with me being the older sister and him being the younger brother it would have been reversed, but that is just how Rocky was.”
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