William A. Wheeler

Fire Police Officer Wheeler was responding to a motor vehicle crash with other members of his fire department. He was driving his personal vehicle, a pickup truck. As he responded to the scene, Fire Police Officer Wheeler suffered a heart attack. His vehicle left the roadway and crashed into a utility pole. The airbag deployed during the crash but there was no damage to the interior of the cab. Firefighters working at the scene of the original crash were informed of another crash involving a fire department member. Firefighters responded to the scene and found Fire Police Officer Wheeler behind the wheel in respiratory and cardiac arrest. Fire Police Officer Wheeler was rapidly extricated and provided with ALS-level emergency care on the scene. He was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The cause of death was listed as a cardiac arrhythmia with congestive heart failure due to a recent myocardial infarct due to occlusion of a coronary artery. Fire Police Officer Wheeler was wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash.