Volunteer firefighter killed in firetruck wreck

STOCKTON — A southeast Georgia community is mourning the death in a wreck of a Stockton volunteer firefighter, one of five family members assigned to the 10-person station.

Lanier County District Fire Chief Gary Yeomans says 32-year-old Dereck North was riding in the passenger seat of the fire truck. He was was killed when his 33-year-old brother, Chad, swerved to avoid a collision at a traffic light Monday.

Chad North was injured, but was released from a Valdosta hospital on Tuesday.

Yeomans says they were responding to a woods fire. A second truck dispatched to the same call was driven by Derek North’s wife, Ruby. Other family members attached to the volunteer department are another brother, Ryan, and the men’s father, Jimmy, who is the station chief.

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Information from: The Valdosta Daily Times, http://valdostadailytimes.com/