Franklin County Sheriff Jeffry Curry said he knew years ago that Deputy Sam Smith would eventually choose a career helping others.

“He definitely had a mindset for a life of service,” said Curry, who taught a criminal justice class Smith attended while at Ottawa High School. “I saw a great deal of potential.”

Smith died Friday night as he was responding to an emergency call around 10 p.m. near the city of Pomona. En route to the call, his patrol car left the road and struck a tree. He was 22 years old and less than a year into his law enforcement career.

A friend who attended Kansas State University at Salina with Smith, Justin Schneider, said Smith was a classic “country guy,” who took aviation classes, hunted, fished and recently started bull riding.

Schneider said that Smith was known for always being there for his friends, and they knew they could call him anytime for help.

“He always had his phone on,” Schneider said. “One of the best friends you could ask for.”

The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating the accident that killed Smith. According to a press release, Smith’s vehicle left the roadway for an unknown reason and caught fire after colliding with a tree. The accident occurred on California Road just north of Jackson Road, about 4.5 miles north of Williamsburg.

Smith was hired by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in November 2009, and graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Center this spring, Curry said.