Investigation incomplete in football player's death

Almost four months after the death of Chapel Hill High School student Atlas Fraley, there are still unanswered questions concerning his death.

Fraley died Aug. 12 after complaining of muscle cramps and headaches.

Although the rising-senior football player called EMS technicians to his house, he was not taken to the hospital.

His parents found him unresponsive when they returned home later that day.

An investigative report by N.C. EMS services was slated to be completed by mid-October, but the report has not been concluded. Fraley’s autopsy also has not been released by medical examiners.

Jim Jones, a spokesman for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, said the matter is still under review and is waiting for the release of Fraley’s autopsy.

“It will be done when it’s done,” Jones said.

The Chapel Hill High School football team was rocked again when another senior teammate, Rodney Torain Jr., died Nov. 16 when a car knocked his vehicle off the road.

No one has been arrested in that incident, but Torain’s mother said he told her on the phone that night that he was being followed.



Statewide changes

Matt Gfeller of R.J. Reynolds High School in Winston Salem, and Jacquan Waller of J.H. Rose High School in Greenville also died this year after football-related incidents.

A proposal to require full-time certified athletic trainers in every high school was spearheaded by Dr. Fred Mueller, the director of the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, and Dr. Kevin Guskiewicz, the chairman of UNC’s exercise and sports science department.

Chapel Hill High School has an athletic trainer, Ben Reed, who doubles as a teacher during the day.

The N.C. High School Athletic Association is hoping it can produce some answers for the community, but has little jurisdiction in the matter.

Que Tucker, the deputy executive director of the athletic association, said she was unsure of what the association could do concerning the proposal.

“Are they asking this board to approve something that they have no jurisdiction over or are they asking the board to endorse the proposal?” she said.

Tucker said the state board of education would have to make the final decision.

And the school system has yet to release details of any review.

“As far as I’m concerned, Mr. Reed did everything he could that day,” said Ronald Hayes, athletic director of Chapel Hill High, in an October interview.



Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.