Family remembers Maury Co. reserve deputy after deadly crash

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - He was a hero who died but saved the lives of three construction workers.

People in Maury County are remembering the Sheriff’s Department Reserve Deputy Brad Miller. The department said he was on Highway 43 patrolling traffic Monday afternoon when a truck crashed into his patrol car and killed him.

It’s no question Reserve Deputy Brad Miller brought love everywhere he went, like at the Maury County Sheriff’s Department where he worked.

“He really enjoyed being on the reserves,” Kelsi Brown, Miller’s granddaughter, said on Tuesday. “Loved what he did, putting his life out there and helping the community.”

Brown said her grandfather brought their family together and she saw him only a couple weeks ago.

“Definitely thought this would not be the last time I’d see him,” Brown said.

“Deputy Miller proudly served and wore this uniform for 19-plus years,” Maury County Sheriff Bucky Rowland said.

Rowland said Miller’s job Monday was to direct traffic away from construction workers working on a paving job. He was inside his patrol car when a Chevy Tahoe hit and killed him.

“He was filling the gap as they did their jobs and any unknown that was around the corner,” Rowland said. “Three of those workers on that scene yesterday said had Deputy Miller not been positioned where he was, they would have been undoubtedly struck and killed by the oncoming vehicle.”

Miller and his wife Kathy were about to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in the spring. Instead, his family and fellow deputies are remembering the fun they all had.

“Brad made this uniform look a lot better than I can,” Rowland said. “He’s very physically fit and always looked dressed to a tee.”

“That man still had abs at 68 years old, eating cookies,” Brown said.

She said he brought joy not only to the sheriff’s department but the people he served in Maury County.

“This time of year, he really loved carrying teddy bears in his patrol car, and if he pulled over a mom and the kids were upset in the back, he would give the kids teddy bears and tell the mom to have a good day,” Brown said.

A good day he always had, as a man who lived life with a giant smile on his face and two thumbs up.

“Tell him to watch over us, doing what he loves, caring for the community,” Brown said.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. A spokesperson said the other driver was injured and no charges have been filed yet.

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