Hancock County Army veteran buried, died in car crash during Hurricane Francine

HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) – A U.S. Army veteran was laid to rest Wednesday after he was killed in a plane crash during Hurricane Francine.

Friends and family remembered Dalton Emmons fondly and described the 31-year-old with words such as selfless, caring and loving.

“He had a big smile, was always willing to help, and was always there. He would help you right away,” his older brother Dillon Emmons told WLOX News. “His smile was the greatest thing in the world to me. He was the godfather of my oldest son and my oldest daughter is named after him. My brother's name is Dalton McKay and my daughter's name is Kate McKay.”

On Sept. 11, Dalton Emmons was home with his mom and dad when Francine brought strong winds and heavy rain to South Mississippi. That afternoon, he received a call from his longtime friend Jeremy Cooper, who was riding out the storm with his pregnant wife.

“I was afraid the power was going to go out and I wouldn't have anything to reassure them in that situation. So I went out to buy a generator,” Cooper explained. “My brother was working, my dad was busy and I knew if I could rely on anyone to help me charge that generator, it was Dalton.”

Emmons drove to Cooper's house during the storm and helped set up the generator. After the two had dinner together, 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,'” Cooper recalled. “I said, 'Okay buddy, be careful.' When he left, he was smiling, like he always did.”

Emmons was driving east on Dummy Line Road, about a mile from Highway 603, when his truck left the road and overturned. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

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

“I called my grandpa and he said Dalton was in a bad car accident. I said, 'Oh God, what hospital is he in?' He said, 'He's not in the hospital, Dillon. He's dead.'”

Dillon then drove south to Hancock County, where he met Jeremy and Jeffrey Cooper. The three lifelong friends told WLOX News they sat on the side of Dummy Line Road and cried while Francine continued to storm off.

The loss is particularly difficult for Dillon because he had a close bond with his brother during their time together in the U.S. military.

“I could always call him in the middle of the night and say, 'Dalton, I'm not feeling too good, can I talk to you?' With all those deployments and stuff, I wasn't going to psychotherapy because I had Dalton. I would call Dalton and he would get up at two in the morning just to talk to me. We'd hang up and he'd say, 'Dillon, are you OK?' And I'd say, 'Yeah, thanks.' When you're young, thinking 'I love you' is silly. But Dalton and I knew anything could happen, so we'd always say, 'Hey man, I love you, see you next time.'”

His best friend Jeffrey Cooper is also hit hard by the loss.

“We were more like brothers,” he said. “He was a great person. We met in second grade and have been very close ever since. Hunting, fishing, everything. Dalton was there for me my whole life. Memories I will cherish forever. I planned to grow old with Dalton. It sucks, but it's God's will and I will never forget him as long as I'm here. It's my job to carry on his legacy.”

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

“I just can't believe that Dalton was a small-town hero to all those people. And Dalton wouldn't believe it either. He always turned crimson, red like a berry. All those people – he just wanted to help them.”

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