A 47-year-old assistant Fort Osage fire chief has died in crash on his way to a fire in rural Jackson County.

Harold Hollingsworth, a 16-year veteran with Fort Osage, was driving to a fire during a severe thunderstorm Sunday night when his fire department SUV slid off the road and hit a tree.

Todd Farley, an assistant fire chief with the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District, say it’s the first time a Fort Osage firefighter has died in the line of duty.

 

Fort Osage is a town of about 7,000 about 30 miles east of Kansas City. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating.

Funeral arrangements were pending Monday.