N.C. Firefighter Killed Responding was 'A vibrant young man'

Jan. 14--SILER CITY -- Josh Woods died while trying to help others.

He was killed early Tuesday morning when his vehicle went out of control while he was speeding to an emergency call. A volunteer with the Siler City Fire Department, Woods was traveling southwest on Silk Hope Road at approximately 1:11 a.m. when his 2004 Honda Accord crossed the center line, overcorrected, ran off the right side of the road, and struck the ditch and two trees. He died at the scene even though he was wearing his seatbelt, according to the accident report.

No one else was involved.

Joshua Mequaine Woods, 24, of Mount Vernon-Hickory Mountain Road, Siler City, had two small sons and his wife Chelsea was expecting, Siler City Fire Chief Scott Murphy said. Woods worked as a cook at Sir Pizza in Siler City but had been a volunteer firefighter for nearly three years.

Woods was a 2009 graduate of Jordan-Matthews High School and graduated from Louisburg College in 2012.

"He was always a vibrant young man and he always had a smile on his face," Murphy said. "He always did what we asked of him. He was dedicated to firefighting and to his wife and children.

"He was just a good kid with his head screwed on straight," Murphy said. "He was a vital part of our service and will be missed."

On Woods' Facebook page, under "Details about Joshua," he had written, "i love chelsea laurin, elijah chase, and ian malachi with all my heart. :)" in reference to his wife and sons. He had dozens of friends on Facebook, with many giving their best wishes when he announced his engagement and later his wedding on May 1, 2015.

"He was an excellent employee," said Jeff Shaw, owner of Sir Pizza in Siler City. "He always had a smile on his face, was pleasant to be around and was loved by the workers. He's going to be truly missed."

Shaw said current and former Sir Pizza employees got together at the restaurant to reflect on Woods and how he had touched their lives. Shaw said it was a start in the healing process.

"The kids mean a lot to us," said Shaw. "They don't need to hold their feelings inside, but lean on each other."

Woods, said Shaw, "was intelligent and had big plans in law enforcement," having applied with the Chatham County Sheriff's Office.

Woods also had a passion for firefighting, Shaw said. "He talked about it and told us about fire calls. It was something he had a calling for."

Shaw said he received the news of Woods' death from a manager, Hannah Murphy, whose husband Daniel was influential in getting Woods into firefighting.

"It was devastating, such a tragedy," Shaw said. "Life's too short and we take it for granted. We lost a co-worker and a friend."

"He was one of my best friends," Hannah Murphy said. "He could sit down and talk to anybody about anything. He never failed to make you smile."

But the smiles have left many of his co-workers' faces. "A lot of the employees are having a hard time dealing with this," Hannah Murphy said.

A collection for Woods' family is being taken up at Sir Pizza. Shaw said the restaurant will also be contributing to the fund and that customers, many of whom knew Woods, have been very supportive.

Copyright 2016 - The Courier-Tribune, Asheboro, N.C.