OGDENSBURG — Shawn W. Snow always had a smile on his face.
His grin was a mainstay while walking through the state police barracks, spending time with his family or educating drivers about truck safety.
"He always lit up the room and people around him because of his smile," said Capt. David E. Chauvin, commander of the state police Troop B zone headquarters in Canton.
The veteran state police trooper was recalled Monday as a good friend and one who was willing to help others.
He and Pierre Surprenant, 51, Lachenaie, Quebec, were electrocuted Sunday afternoon while fixing a flat tire on an antique fire truck near the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge.
Mr. Surprenant and Trooper Snow, 47, apparently were killed instantly when the fire truck's ladder touched a live electrical wire, carrying a current through the truck, state police said.
St. Lawrence County Coroner Russell B. Lawrence III and Dr. Michael Sikirica ruled Monday night that both men died from cardiac arrhythmia due to electrocution. The deaths were accidental. The autopsies were done at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica.
"He was a valuable member of the state police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Detail," Maj. Richard C. Smith Jr., commander of state police Troop B in Ray Brook, said Monday about Trooper Snow. "He was considered one of the nicest people you would ever meet, including outside his state police duties."
Trooper Snow, an 18-year veteran of the force, was responsible for inspecting trucks that crossed the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge or were traveling area roadways.
Gov. David A. Paterson on Monday ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on government buildings across the state Thursday, the day of the trooper's funeral.
"His death reminds us of the dangers which our brave troopers face every day while protecting and serving the public," Gov. Paterson said in a prepared statement. "Our state mourns alongside Trooper Snow's family, friends and the entire law enforcement community. We hope that his example of selfless devotion to the people of New York will serve as an inspiration to us all."
A graduate of Hermon-DeKalb Central School, DeKalb Junction, he served six years in the Navy and four years in the Coast Guard. He joined the state police in October 1989.
He enjoyed woodworking, including making cabinets, and being a do-it-yourselfer around his home.
"He was hard working and very dedicated," said Capt. Chauvin, noting the trooper had hinted about retiring when he completed 20 years of service. "He was one of the nicest people I have ever met."
The tragic incident occurred about 4:45 p.m. Sunday when Ogdensburg city police received a call about a fire truck on fire with people underneath it near the international bridge.
The fire truck, heading to Canada, was towing a trailer with an antique fire chief's car when the truck had a flat tire as it approached the bridge, police said. Trooper Snow stopped to help.
The trooper was under the truck fixing the tire while Mr. Surprenant extended the truck's ladder to redistribute the weight away from the flat right rear tire. When the ladder hit a live wire, both men were killed.
Mr. Surprenant, a former chief of the Ottawa International Airport Fire Department, bought the antique fire truck from the Mont-Joli Fire Department in Quebec. He served for several years on the executive board of the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation in Ottawa.
The Montreal-area resident was returning home from displaying the vehicle at the 50th anniversary of The Society for the Preservation and Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus in America near Syracuse.
He had been teaching firefighting at a school in the Montreal area for the past several months, according to the Ottawa Citizen. Society members collect and restore old firefighting vehicles and equipment.
Will Brooks, the foundation's president, told the Citizen that Mr. Surprenant was working to restore the large vehicle, a 1960 Pierre Thibault Ltd. ladder truck.
He was towing a 1909 Model T Ford, dressed as a chief's car, that once had been owned by the Bytown Fire Brigade.
"He was very excited about the weekend, because it was the first time he'd shown the vehicle outside Quebec," Mr. Brooks said. "We're waiting to find out just what happened."
"Pierre was very safety-conscious and we can't understand how this occurred. Perhaps it was dark and he couldn't see the wires, we just don't know."
David M. Sheen, the foundation's Ontario representative, said his friend had a passion for firefighting.
"He was a great guy," Mr. Sheen said in a phone interview from Toronto. "He loved going to all these events and showing off his truck. He was proud to display and promote the foundation. Our hearts go out to his family and to the family of the state trooper."
The Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge reopened to traffic about 1:30 a.m. Monday after being closed for several hours Sunday evening, Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority Executive Director Wade A. Davis said.
Calling hours for Trooper Snow are from 2 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Green Funeral Home, 33 Park St., Gouverneur. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. James Catholic Church, 164 E. Main St., Gouverneur.
