MARSHALL COUNTY, W.Va. — The program coordinator of the WVU Fire Extension Service was killed in an ATV accident Wednesday morning in Marshall County.
The extension service confirmed Mark Doty died in the crash that occurred at about 7:30 a.m.
Marshall County Sheriff Kevin Cecil said Doty was hauling lumber away from his driveway along Birch Ridge when the ATV apparently had some kind of mechanical problem. The ATV went over an embankment and struck a pine tree. The machine ended up on a paved road at the bottom of the embankment. Doty died of a severe head injury.
Doty and his family are well-known in firefighting circles across West Virginia and in other states. Acting state Fire Marshal Tony Carrico told MetroNews it was tragic news to hear.
“He was very progressive and proactive in training. He believed strongly that firefighters and the first responders community deserved only the best, and he strived to attain that at WVU Fire Extension,” Carrico said.
Doty worked with fire training programs in and outside of West Virginia, assisting up to 5,000 workers annually.
Carrico said Doty had firefighting in his blood with a long family history of volunteering in Wetzel County.
“He was down-to-earth,” Carrico said. “If you wanted to get your mind off of firefighting or training you could talk about any subject. He was just a real nice fella. It was my pleasure.”