Hundreds mourn firefighter killed in Christmas Day crash

MAYS LANDING, N.J. (AP) - Funeral services have been held for a volunteer firefighter in southern New Jersey who was killed in a crash as she responded to a call on Christmas Day.

Hundreds of mourners -- many of them firefighters and emergency responders from across New Jersey and from other states -- gathered Sunday at Absegami High School to mourn Natalie Dempsey.

Authorities have said the 21-year-old Mays Landing resident was responding to a reported chimney fire when she lost control of her car shortly before 6:30 a.m. Tuesday and struck a guardrail. The Mizpah Volunteer Fire Company member was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mizpah Chief Jay Davenport says Dempsey had been a volunteer firefighter for three years. She had hoped to become a police officer and attended the police academy over the summer.