GREELEY, Colo. — The funeral for a Greeley firefighter who was struck and killed in a hit-and-run crash while on his way to work last week was held Friday morning.
Steve Kuzik was riding his motorcycle to work on April 25 when he was struck near 14th Avenue and 5th Street, according to a Facebook post from the Greeley Police Department.
While members of Kuzik's fire crew described his death as "a nightmare" and "the hardest day" in their careers, they said Kuzik will be remembered for his smile and knowledge "about life."
"He taught me a lot about relationships," said Tanner Howard, a Greeley firefighter and member of Kuzik's crew. "We talked a lot about yard work. I mean, the spectrum is so wide. We talked about everything in life."
Kuzik had been a Greeley Firefighter for 21 years. He joined the department on March 23, 1998. Before joining the Greeley Fire Department, he was a reserve and volunteer firefighter with Western Hills Fire District, a small district that contracts with the City of Greeley.
"Steve was always the guy that wanted you to succeed," said Doug Gilliland, another firefighter who worked closely with Kuzik. "He would guide you in the right direction and lead you the right way because he didn't want you to fail."
The two men said Kuzik was a "longtime friend, a mentor, a brother, family."
"We'll always love him for who he was," Gilliland said. "You could only hope to be like him."
"When you lose someone, you always want to say nice things and that's not hard with Steve," Howard said. "There's not a bad thing that comes to mind."
The Greeley Fire Department awarded Kuzik Firefighter of the Year two years ago.
Kuzik was in charge of the department's Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), maintaining the equipment for everyone in the department.
His funeral was Friday morning at the Union Colony Civic Center.
Cody Shane Boetger is accused of hitting and killing Kuzik. According to police, he was driving an SUV westbound on 5th Street in Greeley when he veered into the eastbound lanes, striking Kuzik head-on.
Police said Boetger fled the scene. Police caught up with Boetger near Weld County Road 37 and AA Street and he was taken into custody. The post says the car he was driving when he was arrested had "heavy, fresh damage to the front end."
He is being held on charges including hit-and-run resulting in a fatality.
Greeley Firefighters Local 888 Benevolent Fund is accepting donations on behalf of the Kuzik family. Contributions can be sent to PO Box 32, Greeley, CO, 80631. This is a 501c3 fund. Donations will go toward Kuzik's grandchildren's college fund.
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