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Update: As Community Mourns Loss of Deputy to Floodwaters, Sheriff Warns of Fundraising Scams

The Greene County Sheriff's Office posted a fundraiser for the family of Deputy Aaron Roberts on social media with this photo; Roberts died Friday after floodwaters swept his patrol car from the roadway near Fair Grove.
Greene County Sheriff's Department Facebook
The Greene County Sheriff's Office posted a fundraiser for the family of Deputy Aaron Roberts on social media with this photo; Roberts died Friday after floodwaters swept his patrol car from the roadway near Fair Grove.
The Greene County Sheriff's Office posted a fundraiser for the family of Deputy Aaron Roberts on social media with this photo; Roberts died Friday after floodwaters swept his patrol car from the roadway near Fair Grove.
Credit Greene County Sheriff's Department Facebook
The Greene County Sheriff's Office posted a fundraiser for the family of Deputy Aaron Roberts on social media with this photo; Roberts died Friday after floodwaters swept his patrol car from the roadway near Fair Grove.

The Springfield 100 Club has donated $25,000 to the widow of Aaron Paul Roberts, the Greene County Sheriff’s Deputy who died in flash flooding near Fair Grove Friday night while on duty.

The not-for-profit organization provides financial support to the surviving spouses and dependent children of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty in Greene County.

AGo Fund Me pagehas also been set up for the public to donate to Roberts’s family.  Just over $21,000 has been donated toward a $25,000 goal. 

Deputy Roberts had cleared a 911 call in the 9500 block of Farm Road 2. He was returning to service and moments later radioed that his car was washed off of the road.  Shortly after, his body was found near his patrol car.

Original story:

A Greene County Sheriff’s Deputy died Friday night near Fair Grove after his patrol car was washed off the road as five inches of rain bore down on that specific area of the Ozarks in one night. 

According to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Aaron Paul Roberts had just responded to a 911 call near the 9500 block of Farm Road 2 and was returning to service.  Moments later, he radioed that his car had been washed off the road.

Several agencies responded to the rescue effort.  Roberts’ body was found near his patrol car that same night, according to the sheriff’s office.

Volunteers close to the sheriff’s office set up a GoFundMe account dedicated to raising money for Roberts’ family.

On Saturday, the sheriff's office posted a message to its Facebook page cautioning the public on “scammers and fake fundraising events.”

The office said it will try to get the word out about which fundraising efforts are legitimate.

Greene County was under a Flash Flood Warning for much of Friday night. 

Steve Lindenberg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told KSMU that Springfield saw 2.55 inches of rain on Friday night—and that the Fair Grove area had over five inches of rain that same night.

Copyright 2021 KSMU. To see more, visit KSMU.

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As the Journalist-in-Residence at Missouri State University, Jennifer teaches undergraduate and graduate students, oversees a semester-long, team reporting project, and contributes weekly stories to KSMU Radio in the area of public affairs journalism.