Dump truck hits and kills paramedic riding his motorcycle to work, NC officials say

A beloved Eastern North Carolina paramedic was killed when a dump truck hit him on his way to work, news outlets reported.

Melvin “Dennis” Fortney III is remembered as a hard worker who taught at a community college and shared his knowledge with new colleagues.

“He would always take them under his wing,” Jones County Emergency Services Director Tim Pike told McClatchy News in a phone interview. “He would guide them and show them what they needed.”

But Fortney’s life was cut short when he was heading to his job on Tuesday, Aug. 9, officials said.

The 56-year-old was riding a motorcycle south on a highway when a dump truck was going north, WITN and WCTI reported. The truck driver tried to turn into a parking lot and ran into Fortney, according to the Kinston Police Department.

Fortney died at the scene of the crash, officials said.