A 95-year-old veteran was killed in a car accident recently on his way to meet friends for an early morning rendezvous.
South Carolina resident Peter Pulkkinen was killed Saturday when his vehicle collided with a Myrtle Beach Fire Department (MBFD) vehicle. The Horry County Coroner's Office confirmed his death in an email to Fox News Digital.
The incident happened at about 5:46 a.m. Fire department officials said in a statement on Facebook that they had been responding to a call of a structure fire before the incident occurred.
MBFD officers were able to rescue Pulkkinen, but he, who was in his 90s, died after being taken to a local hospital.
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Peter Pulkkinen died in an accident at the Myrtle Beach Fire Department. (Legacy.com / Myrtle Beach Fire Department via Facebook)
“The two Myrtle Beach Fire Department personnel involved in the accident are uninjured,” the MBFD statement added. “The South Carolina Highway Patrol is leading the investigation.”
“Our heartfelt condolences go out to all involved.”
Pulkkinen's niece, Avis, told WMBF that the veteran was on his way to McDonald's to meet a friend for coffee, as part of his normal daily routine.
“He was a good driver and we had ridden with him before. When we went to see him he was adamant about driving,” Avis explained. “He was always alert, careful and looked both ways.”
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Peter Pulkkinen, 95, enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1948 and served for 20 years. (Legacy.com)
Pulkkinen's obituary on Legacy.com remembered him as a “quiet, loyal man” who was born in 1929, grew up on a farm in Maine and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1948.
Pulkkinen, who met his wife in Britain and moved to the United States, served in the military for 20 years before moving to the private sector.
“He loved taking walks, reading biographies and history books, traveling to visit friends in Florida and driving through the Kentucky countryside,” the obituary said. “His favorite weekly outing was dining at Golden Corral.”
The Myrtle Beach Fire Department reported that personnel rescued Pulkkinen after the accident. (Myrtle Beach Fire Department via Facebook)
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Myrtle Beach Fire Department for additional comment but did not immediately receive a response.
