A firefighter with the Barstow Fire Protection District struck by a vehicle while working a call on the I-15 freeway has died from his injuries, officials confirmed.

On December 5, 2021, at about 3:26 am, Fire Engineer David Spink and his crew responded to a traffic collision along the NB I-15 at L Street. While crews were treating patients and preparing to leave the scene, a vehicle traveling at highway speeds struck Spink.

His injuries were life-threatening and he was flown via a Mercy Air helicopter to Loma Linda University Medical Center where for over a month he fought for his life.

Barstow Fire Chief Nick DiNapoli confirmed the heartbreaking news that Engineer David Spink died on January 9, 2022.

In a Facebook post, his son Dallen, who is a Barstow Firefighter/Paramedic, said his father had been in a coma with many significant injuries over the past month.

“He sustained major brain injuries including a traumatic brain injury with a Diffuse Axonal Injury (extreme whiplash) to where there is irreversible damage. He also had many strokes occur due to fatty pieces of bone marrow being dislodged, strokes occurred on both sides of the brain,” stated Dallen.