Family, friends remember Palo man killed after Friday crash

PALO — Stephen Cook was the type of guy you'd look up to and someone you'd want looking after you, his friends and family said Sunday.

Cook, 35, of Palo was a Cedar Rapids Water Division employee since 2008 and a volunteer firefighter for the better part of a decade, including for the last four years in Palo.

But Chris Cook remembers him as the big brother who constantly wanted to be outdoors and settled arguments between him and his sister.

'Stephen was always there to keep the peace. He taught me how to be a brother, how to be a son,' Cook said, holding back tears. 'I'm engaged now. I'm looking at him on how to be a husband and how to be a dad.'

Stephen Cook died Saturday night at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the day after he was thrown from a city van that collided with a truck driven by a Hiawatha man allegedly fleeing police. That man, Lawson S. Chadwick, 47, now is in custody on homicide by vehicle and eluding charges.

'He could do anything. You could have the confidence to get the job done.'

- Palo Fire Chief James Seely

On Stephen Cook as a firefighter

According to authorities, at 8:39 a.m. Friday, an officer attempted to pull over the red pickup truck Chadwick was driving for a registration violation near 10th Street and Eighth Avenue SW.

Rather than stop, police said, Chadwick fled through the Hawkeye Oil parking lot and continued east on Eighth Avenue SW.

Police said Chadwick turned right into the 800 block alley between Eighth and Ninth streets, proceeded onto the train tracks and came out behind 1041 10th St. SW. He then turned onto Ninth Street SW and sped south on Ninth.

Police said the officer, who was more than a block behind, saw Chadwick run a stop sign at 15th Avenue and again at 16th Avenue. When Chadwick ran the stop sign at Ninth Street and 16th Avenue, he collided with the city vehicle, which had been eastbound on 16th Avenue.

Cook was thrown from the van, which overturned. The entire six-block, minute-long chase remains under investigation.

On Sunday, members of the Palo Fire Department swarmed the community and erected more than 90 flags provided by the American Legion in Cook's honor. Palo Fire Chief James Seely described Cook as someone you could count on.

'He was the kind of guy you would want by your side if you were going to go into a raging house fire,' Seely said Sunday. 'He could do anything. You could have the confidence to get the job done.'

And when that job was done, Cook was someone you'd want to sit and have a drink with, Seely said.

'He was super easy to get along with,' he said.

Chris Cook said belonging to the fire department was 'extremely important' to his brother.

'He loved the fire department,' Cook said. 'I think one of the things he liked was teaching the kids about fire safety. That was something that really appealed to him. I think the camaraderie and the ability to really help out people when they were in need was the biggest thing for him. He's always been like that.'

The second oldest of six siblings, Stephen Cook grew up in Ryan, where he started his firefighting career. He married Lisa Wulfekuhle in May 2008, his brother said. The couple had two children, a boy and a girl. Chris Cook said much of his brother's free time was spent cheering on his son at baseball, football and track events and spending time with his daughter.

Stephen represented the best qualities of the Cook family, Chris added.

'I think we were all just really proud to have him in our lives and proud of the things he's done,' Cook said. 'We'll just miss him a lot.'