The Charlotte Observer (North Carolina)

Photo courtesy of Coldwater FD James Earl Arthur.

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — Cold Water volunteer firefighter James Earl Arthur loved responding to emergencies.

The 19-year-old Concord High graduate had joined the fire department as soon as he turned 16 and was old enough.

On Monday night, his rush to get to a call cost him his life.

Around 7:20 p.m., Arthur was on his way home from his job at a textile mill in southern Rowan County when he heard his department paged to respond to a vehicle wreck, according to colleagues at the fire department.

He was heading north on Old Concord Road when he took a curve too fast about 3 miles south of China Grove, said N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper C.F. Rogers. He lost control of his pickup, overturned and was thrown from the truck. He wasn't wearing a seatbelt.

Rogers estimated that Arthur was going at least 75 miles per hour. The speed limit is 55, and a sign recommends 40 for the curve. Cold Water Fire Chief James Preddy Jr. said police give volunteer firefighters leeway when they turn their emergency lights on, but they're not allowed to speed.

Firefighters from the Cold Water Volunteer Fire Department rushed to Northeast Hospital in Concord when they heard what had happened, but it was too late.

Preddy remembered Arthur as eager and dependable.

"He was always there and willing to do whatever he was asked to do," Preddy said. "He was here every meeting we had."

Arthur's dad, Woody Arthur, is also a volunteer firefighter.

"Highlights for both of them was to hear those pagers going off," said his mother, Terri Arthur.

She remembered how much Arthur had enjoyed entering a burning building during his training and how well he had handled his first call -- a car accident in which a woman died.

He'd struggled in school, his mother said, so "to see him graduate and get into the fire department and do the things he was able to do ..." She broke off, lapsing into tears.

Arthur worked various jobs after high school, but he was still taking classes towards becoming a professional firefighter and an emergency medical technician.

If Arthur wasn't at the fire department, he'd spend time with his girlfriend, or doing something outside, his mother said.

"He loved to do anything hands-on," she said, from fixing a dirt bike to mowing the lawn.

Arthur is survived by his parents and two sisters, Shannon, 15, and Whitney, 10, as well as extended family.

On Monday, the Cold Water firefighters lowered their flag to half staff and placed Arthur's gear in front as a memorial.

Copyright 2008 The Charlotte Observer