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News: Legacy of Austin Knight reflects close bond among Roane State EMT and paramedic students

The parents of the late Austin Logan Knight hold a photo of him while in a classroom in Roane State’s Knox County Center for Health Sciences. Amanda Hillard and William “B.J.” Hillard are with their 3-year-old son and Austin’s brother, Finnegan.

Nov. 21, 2018

By Bob Fowler
Roane State staff writer

KNOXVILLE – Austin Logan Knight – big, easy-going and an avid outdoorsman - was just coming into his own and getting serious about his EMT coursework at Roane State’s Knox County Center for Health Sciences.

“He was set in his ways – an old man in a teenager’s body,” his mother, Amanda Hillard, recalled with a sad smile. “He was also hard-headed and particular.” Austin always awakened at 6:30 a.m. and watched the Weather Channel, she said.

Dad William “B.J.” Hillard remembered Austin as “laid back about most things,” and said Austin “loved hunting and fishing” -- especially duck hunting -- and had purchased his own boat expressly for that sport.

Austin graduated from Halls High School Dec. 17, 2017, after going through the Knox County School System in that community. He wrestled from second grade deep into high school, then played football.

Austin was employed part-time at the local Kmart, and working with his hands came naturally for him, from automotive repairs to welding. B.J. Hillard remembered how Austin expertly finessed some welding for him in their garage.

Learning also came easily for the strapping youth. He’d take tests and answer just enough questions to earn a good grade, the Hillards said. He placed second in a geography competition in seventh grade, and his parents were unaware of that accomplishment until they received a letter inviting them to a ceremony for the winners.

After his high school graduation, his parents didn’t want their son having too much time on his hands, so they encouraged him to register for classes at Roane State.

He did so in January, enrolling in the college’s demanding EMT regimen at the Knox County campus. “He was very reluctant at first and didn’t bring his books with him,” Amanda Hillard said. “Then one day, he asked for some note cards for studying, and I about fell on the floor.”

“All of a sudden, something kind of clicked and he was all in for it,” B.J. Hillard said of Austin’s collegiate experiences. Austin had talked about becoming a firefighter, he said.

“I saw Austin as a shy young man slowly coming out of his shell and enjoying interacting with others,” EMT instructor Jeff Kerley said. “A young man who was coming into his own. A man who fell in love with the idea of being part of a selfless profession, and dedicating his self to helping others in need. A man who found his niche in life.”

The Hillards’ world collapsed on a dreary, rainy Feb. 17. Austin and his new girlfriend were in the remote, 24,000-acre Chuck Swan Wildlife Management Area in Union County– one of the places Austin loved the most.

“He went out there all the time to hunt,” B.J. Hillard said. “It’s the most rugged land you could find.”

Austin was driving his girlfriend’s compact car on a narrow road when the vehicle fishtailed, hydroplaning in the pouring rain, and went out of control and down a steep embankment, hitting a tree.

Austin died when his head hit the steering wheel. He was 18 years old.

The girlfriend sustained minor injuries. The Hillards said EMTs from both Union and Claiborne counties responded to the scene.

Devastated by grief, the Hillards said Roane State officials and students were “very kind and comforting” in their responses to the family tragedy.

Flowers and cards were sent, condolences were offered and members of Austin’s EMT class attended his funeral.

Then, Roane State officials awarded an EMT certificate posthumously to Austin in May – the same time he was posthumously awarded his high school diploma. “When he got his degree, several members of his (EMT) class walked up to receive it” on his behalf, Amanda Hillard said.

“I don’t know how to express our gratitude to Roane State,” B.J. Hillard said. Both parents fought back tears as they described the incident and the college’s response to the tragedy.

Now, they want to leave a legacy for their son so he’s not forgotten. They’ve launched a business, www.tristarhatsandapparel.com, where 20 percent of the purchase will go into a foundation where proceeds are awarded to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

Various hats are sold there because Austin loved wearing them, B.J. Hillard said. Austin died wearing a hat he’d given him that morning, he said.

B.J. Hillard said he’s willing to speak at high school programs about his son, the inherent dangers of driving, “and to bring awareness to things he (Austin) liked.”

The Hillards said they’re seeking to help Roane State in any way they can.

B.J. Hillard, a senior division manager overseeing 267 Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, has discussed using some of his connections from the business world and charitable work to assist the college, a Roane State official said.

“Whatever they need us to do,” Amanda Hillard said.

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