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Fire Company Seeks Donations for Headstone, Dedicated Young Volunteer Killed Jogging Off-Duty

by First Arriving Dec 28, 2013, 9:36 pm 129 Comments

By Hannah Sawyer, York Daily Record, Pa.

North Hopewell-Winterstown Photo via Facebook

Dec 28 — North Hopewell-Winterstown Fire Company is seeking donations for a headstone for Cory Haley, a firefighter who was struck and killed by a vehicle while he was jogging on Christmas Eve.

The department posted on its Facebook page that donations can be mailed to the station: NHWVFC, mark on the donation “For Cory Haley”, 12246 Winterstown Road, Felton, PA 17322. Donations also can be dropped off.

“This family has suffered and lost an amazing young man! Please help us help the family with this headstone,” the department posted on its Facebook page.

Thursday update

A visitation will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the Winterstown United Methodist Church, 12184 Winterstown Road, according to Cory Haley’s obituary.

A funeral service will be Monday at 11 a.m. at the church.

The obituary talks of Haley’s work with Tate Floors in Red Lion and many certifications through his firefighting.

He also received a firefighter of the year award in 2012 from the state House of Representatives.

The family asks that any memorial contributions be made to the Winterstown Fire Company, 12246 Winterstown Road, Felton.

ORIGINAL REPORT
By Hannah Sawyer, York Daily Record, Pa.

Dec. 26 — A dedicated 24-year-old volunteer firefighter who was engaged and planned to marry in the next few months died Christmas Eve when he was struck by a vehicle while jogging, his chief said.

Cory Haley was in training and planned to enlist in the U.S. Air Force later this year in the pararescue unit, North Hopewell-Winterstown Chief Shanan Poe said. Haley, who ran 10-mile routes and swam laps at a local pool two times a week, wouldn’t have skipped a workout, even on Christmas Eve, Poe added.

That’s just what Haley was doing Tuesday evening around 5:30 p.m., when police said he was struck in the southbound lane of Winterstown Road in the Red Lion area.

Wearing a reflective band and headphones, Haley was hit by a car driven by 21-year-old Briar Sullivan of Red Lion, according to York Area Regional Police.

Haley hit the driver side front and windshield, police said, and was thrown into the northbound lane into the path of a pickup driven by John Warner, 65, of Winterstown.

Haley was then run over by the pickup, police said.

He was transported to York Hospital where he later died in the operating room at 8:54 p.m., Deputy Coroner Claude Stabley said.

The cause of death was multiple blunt force trauma, Stabley said. There will be no autopsy.

The North Hopewell-Winterstown Volunteer Fire Co.’s Facebook page quickly filled with comments on Christmas morning from those who knew him.

“He was very dedicated with what he does,” Poe said.

The crash happened just in front of the home of another department volunteers, who ran outside to direct traffic at the scene. It wasn’t until paramedics arrived and turned Haley over that the firefighter realized who it was, Poe said.

His department has taken the loss to heart, he said.

“It’s a brotherhood and a sisterhood,” Poe said.

Poe described him as someone who was always willing to help. He took extra classes at the York County Fire School and always volunteered to help. He would text Poe every day and asked if there was anything he could do at the station.

“It’s hard on our members to lose someone so young who had so much potential,” he said.

What he’ll remember about Haley is that he had “the biggest heart,” he said.

Plans for a memorial have not yet been finalized, Poe said.