On January 12th, 1998, Centerville Police Officer John P. Kalaman was assisting fellow first responders when he suffered critical injuries from being struck by a vehicle.

After volunteering to stand in for an officer whose shift was about to end, he had arrived at the scene of a single-vehicle highway crash that had occurred in extremely icy conditions. He had just helped secure the injured driver into an ambulance and was heading back toward the wrecked car. But at that very moment a second car that had been sliding on black ice came careening into the median strip and struck Officer Kalaman—who was thrown 100 feet—as well as two firefighters.

John died of his injuries at the scene. One of the injured firefighters died soon afterwards, but the other survived.

Officer Kalaman was 29 years old at the time of his death, and had served with the Centerville Police Department for five years. He was survived by his mother, father, and brother.

John was considered a very good officer, whom others were always glad to see when he came to back them up. He had become an officer so he could help people, especially children and the elderly. At the time of the incident, he and his Centerville Police Officer fiancée were about to announce their engagement. Before joining the force he had attended the University of Cincinnati, where his parents set up a scholarship in his name. The department hosts an annual golf tournament and an annual blood drive in honor of his ultimate sacrifice. The incident helped lead to Ohio’s Move Over Law, which requires drivers to slow down and move over to an adjacent lane when approaching flashing emergency lights along the roadside.