Daniel J. Maffea, of Bethlehem Township, died from injuries he suffered after being thrown from a moving vehicle in the Madison Farms Shopping Center on Friday, May 22, according to Northampton County Coroner Zachary R. Lysek.
Maffea had been riding on the closed trunk area of a vehicle traveling across Madison Boulevard between 4797 and 4753 Freemansburg Ave. when he was thrown from the vehicle, the coroner said.
He was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital-Anderson Campus, where he died on Friday, May 29.
The cause of death was blunt force head trauma and the manner of death was ruled an accident, according to the coroner.
Born in Bethlehem on June 28, 2005, Maffea worked as a landscaper for ABC Lawn & Landscaping and also performed mechanical work and CNC printing for Aluminodi Customs, according to his obituary.
He volunteered with the Fountain Hill Fire Department, enjoyed teaching baseball to children, and was a familiar face at local car shows. His obituary said he lived by the motto, “If I am not tired by the end of the day, I didn’t work hard enough.”
Family members first asked the public for prayers as Maffea fought for his life in the days following the crash.
“As many of you know my brother Daniel Maffea im deeply distraught to inform you all today he was involved in a severe accident,” his sister, Meado Maffea, wrote on Facebook. “If we could please just send a prayer.”
After his death, Fountain Hill Fire Company honored Maffea’s service and legacy.
“It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that I announce the passing of former Firefighter Daniel Maffea, a past member of our department,” Fire Chief Lee Reisling wrote in a statement.
“Although Daniel was no longer an active member, he remained a valued part of our fire service family and his time, dedication, and contributions to our organization will not be forgotten.”
Friends also remembered Maffea’s impact on the firehouse. Fellow firefighter Matt Williamson said Maffea welcomed him into the department, taught him about the fire service, and shared overnight shifts and video game sessions with him.
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Maffea’s longtime girlfriend, Kadence Leis, said the couple had been together for more than five years.
In a social media tribute, Leis remembered Maffea’s impact on those around him, saying he was loved by friends, coworkers, employers, and even strangers who encountered his smile.
“Daniel you were loved by so many,” she wrote. “Your friends, your coworkers, your bosses and even the random people you’d flash a smile to walking by.”