A newly married man was struck and killed by three vehicles Saturday night while helping a stranded motorist on the side of the road — about 7 hours after his wedding.
William Knight, 49, and his new wife Nikki were driving to a hotel after their wedding reception about 11:45 p.m. when they saw a woman, Linda Darlington, 42, whose car had gone off-road into a ditch in Crown Point, Ind., local media report.
"He said, 'We've got to stop, it's late and they need help,'" she told the Chicago Sun-Times.
The bride stayed in their truck, parked in a nearby driveway, while her new husband walked to the street to help Darlington. Suddenly, they were hit by three vehicles heading east in quick succession, authorities said.
Nikki Knight walked out to the scene after hearing a thud to find Knight and Darlington motionless without pulses. They were pronounced dead at the scene, the local coroner's office said.
Autopsies revealed that they died from blunt force trauma.
"I went from a being a newlywed to a widow in less than 48 hours — the highest high to the lowest low," she said to the Chicago paper. "It's a blur."
The Knights married 5 p.m. that day.
Knight, who most recently worked as a heat treating specialist, served as a U.S. Army Ranger for 12 years with tours of duty during the First Gulf War, his wife said.
"He was the type of person who was willing to put himself on the line and support you no matter what," she said.
Knight leaves behind his wife, two daughters, a stepdaughter and a stepson.
All drivers involved stopped their vehicles and stayed at the scene. No charges have been filed and it is unclear whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.
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