LAKE CITY, Fla. - Hundreds of mourners, including firefighters from as far away as Tampa, gathered Tuesday morning to honor the life of a longtime Suwannee County firefighter who was killed in a motorcycle crash last week. James Sommers, 40, joined Suwannee County Fire Rescue in 2001 and rose in the ranks, serving as the county's public safety director since 2012. Sommers was killed last Tuesday evening in a motorcycle crash in Lake City, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Suwannee County Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Eddie Hand told News4Jax that Sommers made great strides in leading the department toward where it is today. Since Sommers' leadership, Suwannee added another paid station with 25 firefighters to the staff.