Accident claims Bengals' Henry, 26, who was turning around his life

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Chris Henry wasn't a stranger to trouble. Indeed, his multiple arrests during his five-year NFL career were among the factors that prompted the league to toughen its personal-conduct policy.

But to hear Henry's teammates tell it -- even the team's owner -- the Cincinnati Bengals' wide receiver was determined to leave behind his troubled past and move ahead toward a bright future.

Tragically, Henry's efforts were cut short when he died from injuries sustained in what police said was a domestic dispute with his fiancee.
Gone too soon NFL.com's Steve Wyche writes that the saddest part of Bengals WR Chris Henry's sudden death is that it seemed as if he was just beginning to escape his troubled past. More ...

» Bengals mourn their teammate's passing
» Reaction from around the nation
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said Henry, 26, died early Thursday, less than 18 hours after he fell off the back of a pickup truck on a curvy residential street about eight miles northwest of downtown Charlotte.

The cause of death wasn't immediately released.

Henry was away from the Bengals after he suffered a season-ending broken forearm in a game last month.

"We knew him in a different way than his public persona," Bengals owner Mike Brown said. "He had worked through the troubles in his life and had finally seemingly reached the point where everything was going to blossom. And he was going to have the future we all wanted for him. It's painful to us. We feel it in our hearts, and we will miss him."

Said Bengals wide receiver Andre Caldwell: "People thought he was a bad guy, but he had a big heart."

Police released few details about the investigation, other than homicide detectives were assigned to the case. Two 911 tapes released Thursday and witnesses provided some clues.

Neighbor Lee Hardy told WLWT-TV and