A TDOT Help Truck Operator killed while helping a stranger change a tire on Christmas Eve was doing what he loved, helping others, said his close friends and family.
J.R. Rogers, age 30, was assisting Marvin Mooney from Etowah, Tennessee by changing a tire on Saturday evening near the Hermitage exit on Interstate 40.
Moments before being hit, J.R. told Mooney to get into his vehicle because it wasn’t safe. That’s when police said Dennis Castellenos- Moreno lost control of his Toyota Scion and slammed into J.R. as he worked to replace the lug nuts on Mooney’s tire.
Castellenos-Moreno was charged with driving without a license and driving without insurance.
Read More: TDOT Worker Hit On I-40 Dies From Injuries
“He left behind so much. He died so young. We weren’t even done growing up,” said J.R.’s best friend Aaron Parker.
Parker and J.R. met in kindergarten and were life-long friends. The two graduated from Cheatham County High School together, where J.R. still volunteered as a football coach.
“I lost my best friend. He was a good guy. He loved football. I couldn’t ask for a better guy. If you needed something, he was there,” Parker said about his friend who also served as best man in his wedding recently.
J.R. left behind a 5-year-old son in addition to his extended family at TDOT.
He was the 112th TDOT worker to be killed while on the job since 1948, and the third TDOT worker to be killed this year.
“He liked to help people, and he got the job to help people. It could’ve been prevented, and it should’ve been prevented," Parker said.
All area U.S. Banks have currently been accepting donations for J.R.'s family. Checks can be mailed to:
P.O. Box 248
Joelton, TN 37080
Make checks out to: Benefit for J.R. Rogers
A gofundme account has also been set up. To donate, click here.
