Duty Death: Derek Poole - [Catawba]
End of Service: 09/08/2021
By Janelle Foskett
CATAWBA, N.C. — A North Carolina volunteer firefighter died on Monday, 14 years after a vehicle crash that caused long-term injuries.
The crash occurred on April 15, 2007, when Derek Poole was on his way back to the station following an arson fire. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, Poole, a firefighter with the Catawba and West Iredell fire departments, was traveling in his privately owned vehicle when he reportedly missed a stop sign at the road’s intersection and crashed into another vehicle.
Poole was ejected from his vehicle and sustained long-term injuries that ultimately led to his death on Aug. 9. He was 35.