Chapel Hill football player laid to rest

Funeral services for 17-year-old Atlas Fraley were held at Chapel Hill Bible Church at 4 p.m. Saturday. Fraley died Tuesday of unknown causes.

Posted 10:49 a.m. Aug 16, 2008 — Updated 10:07 a.m. Aug 17, 2008

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — A Chapel Hill High School football player who died this week was laid to rest Saturday afternoon.

Funeral services for Atlas Fraley, 17, were held at Chapel Hill Bible Church at 4 p.m.

Fraley’s parents found him unresponsive in their 202 Fan Branch Lane home Tuesday evening, and they were unable to revive him.

The state medical examiner's office has not issued a cause of death. Police said that there were no signs of foul play and that the death did not appear to be suspicious.

Fraley called 911 from his house shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday, complaining of body aches and dehydration and asking for paramedics to provide him with intravenous fluids.

Fraley was not taken to a hospital. It remained unclear whether he refused to be taken to one or paramedics thought he was well enough to stay at home alone.

Fraley was a senior offensive guard and defensive tackle on the Chapel Hill High School football team, which participated in a Tuesday morning scrimmage at Middle Creek High School in Apex.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools are investigating Fraley’s death which occurred hours after he played in the scrimmage.

Orange County Emergency Management Services officials are also investigating the case, but they have declined to discuss it.

EMS officials said Friday that a paramedic response vehicle was dispatched to Fraley's home in response to his 911 call. The vehicle, different from the ambulances used to transport patients, is fully equipped to handle medical emergencies, officials said.

Orange County Emergency Medical Services protocols don't set a minimum age for allowing patients to refuse treatment. State law also doesn't address whether minors can refuse medical treatment.

“I’m disappointed in the system, so disappointed in the system,” Atlas' father, David Fraley, said.

Attorneys said the situation depends on Fraley's condition when EMS arrived.

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