Akron Pastor Melford J. Elliott Dies in Sunday Morning Crash; Struck by Another Vehicle After He's Ejected From Car
An Akron, Ohio-based preacher who joined with other pastors to protest attacks on the Christian faith last March, was killed in a violent car crash Sunday morning after he was ejected from his own vehicle then struck by another on Interstate 71 in Madison County.
A report from 10TV said the pastor, Melford J. Elliot, 51, of Greater Bethel Baptist Church, was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The West Jefferson Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol told 10TV that they received a call of a rollover crash at about 6:40 a.m. on Sunday. Their investigation of the accident showed that Elliot was traveling southbound on the interstate when his vehicle drifted into the median, hit a culvert and overturned.
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As the vehicle rolled, Elliot was thrown into the left lane of I-71 and he was struck by an oncoming vehicle. The driver of that vehicle, Bruce Martin, 53, was not injured.
In March 2014, Elliot and two other pastors attracted extensive media attention for a marketing promotion which feature their fake arrest for preaching the Gospel to draw attention for a local production highlighting Christian persecution.
The promotion, which was later highlighted in a 7-minute YouTube video created by the KAZ radio television network, documented in each pastor's arrest with the theme song to the reality legal series "Cops" playing in the background.
In each arrest, sheriff's deputies entered the church with the KAZ film crew and told the pastor he is under arrest for "defending the faith." The pastors go willingly, but often respond by saying they will continue defending their Christian faith until they die.
"I make no apologies; I make no apologies at all. For God I live and for God I'll die; I'll take this," said Elliott in the video.
The other two pastors who participated include the Rev. Robert Golson, pastor at Prince of Peace Baptist Church, and the Rev. Vincent Peterson, pastor at Providence Baptist Church.
