

The Associated Press





CHICAGO -- A man married less than seven hours was killed along with a stranded motorist he stopped to help in the snow when they were struck by several vehicles, authorities say.

The man was on the way back from his wedding reception to a hotel when the accident happened.

William "Riley" Knight, 49, was driving with his wife, Nikki, about 11:45 p.m. Saturday when they saw a woman who had slid off the road in the snow near Crown Point.

"He said, 'We've got to stop, it's late and they need help,"' Nikki Knight told the Chicago Sun-Times on Sunday.

He pulled his truck into a nearby driveway and Nikki Knight waited inside while he went out to help Linda Darlington, 42. They were standing by the side of the road when they were struck by one vehicle, and then two more, the sheriff's office said.

Nikki Knight, a registered nurse, said when she got to the wreck, neither Knight nor Darlington had pulses. They were pronounced dead at the scene early Sunday.

"I went from a being a newlywed to a widow in less than 48 hours -- the highest high to the lowest low," Nikki Knight said. "It's a blur."

Police said all drivers involved in the crash remained at the scene. No charges had been filed as of Sunday afternoon.

Knight also is survived by two his two daughters, a stepdaughter and stepson.