Seattle firefighter Molly Matthews died after fall from firetruck, Jan. 13, 1984
On January 13, 1984, 29-year-old Seattle firefighter Mary R. “Molly” Matthews fell from the back of a firetruck en route to a call an suffered a skull fracture that turned fatal. Matthews was on the rear step of a pumper truck and lost her grip as the truck turned a corner at 12th Avenue and East Union Street. Matthews died later at Harborview Medical Center. After an investigation, then Fire Chief Robert Swartout said Matthews' strength wasn't an issue, and that her death was likely caused by several factors, including that she might not have been totally prepared for what was coming. Matthews' accidental death ended the practice of Seattle firefighters riding on the back of firetrucks.
