LOWELL, N.C. — A 57-year-old former fire chief died Monday from injuries suffered in an ATV wreck in front of his home.
Gaston Gazette reported that Chief David Matheney, a member of the Cramerton Volunteer Fire Department, was not wearing a helmet when he wrecked the four-wheeler.
“He was riding a four-wheeler and an accident occurred,” said Lowell Police Officer T.G. Henderson. “It’s a tragedy for the family.”
Police declined to say what led up to the wreck. No other vehicles were involved, according to the report.
The four-wheeler apparently flipped as Matheney drove it and he suffered a head injury. He was taken to a hospital and later died, according to the report.
“He was easy to talk to and he always had this grin about him,” former Fire Chief David Young said.
Matheney had worked in machine maintenance in the textile industry, and later in building maintenance at assisted living centers, according to the report.
He had a knack to figuring out how to fix machinery and could talk about almost any subject, Young said.
“He had a sharp wit,” Young said. “If you threw something out there he’d have a comeback. It wasn’t anything that would offend you. He was just smart.”
No foul play is suspected.