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I-95 bridge named in honor of fallen deputy

Four years to the day after a Cumberland County deputy died while responding to a call, the DOT dedicated a highway bridge in his honor Wednesday.

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FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Four years to the day after a Cumberland County deputy died while responding to a call, the state Department of Transportation dedicated a highway bridge in his honor Wednesday.

Christopher Brian Matthews, 28, was killed Sept. 30, 2005, when his patrol car ran off River Road in northern Cumberland County and overturned as he was responding to a call.

The DOT will erect a sign at the bridge at Exit 55 on Interstate 95, naming it the Deputy Brian Matthews Bridge.

"Brian gave of himself. Brian cared about his fellow officers. He cared about the community," his friend, Bradley Dean, said Wednesday during a ceremony at the Eastover Recreation Center. "It was that caring that contributed to the circumstances we find ourselves facing today."

Ron Matthews also attended the service honoring his son. He was a former Cumberland County deputy who returned to law enforcement a year after his son's death to serve in his place.

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