Del. restaurateur Matt Haley dies from crash injuries

• Matt Haley is one of Delaware's most well-known restaurateurs and philanthropist.
• Haley owns eight popular restaurants in the state's beach resort towns and has a total of 25 operations in at least four states.
• The 53-year-old received the James Beard Humanitarian of the Year Award this past May.

Sussex County restaurateur Matt Haley, the only Delawarean to receive a James Beard Award, died from injuries suffered from a motorcycle accident in India, his business partner Scott Kammerer said Wednesday.

Haley, a much honored humanitarian, was in the country for the start of a 6-week trek through northwestern India and eventually Nepal where he planned to deliver stoves to a Nepali village.

According to Kammerer, Haley was driving a motorcycle in the mountains near Leh, India, around 4 p.m. Monday when he collided with a truck. He was taken to a remote hospital, unconscious, and was in the hospital's intensive care unit.

Kammerer said Haley died at about 11:25 p.m. while being transported by a medical jet from Leh to a hospital in New Delhi, India.

Haley, who had been traveling to India and Nepal since 2011, was with about eight or nine other motorcycle riders and international film-maker and motorcycle expert Guarav Jani.

During the trip, Haley posted on his Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter accounts about the potential risks of the roadways he was traveling.

On Aug. 11, he wrote on Facebook he would be traveling "on the highest and, some say, most dangerous roads in the world."

"The entire team at the Matt Haley Companies is incredibly saddened by this huge loss. We will release more information as it becomes available," said Kammerer, president and COO of The Matt Haley Companies.

Haley is one of Delaware's most well-known restaurateurs and philanthropists. He owns eight popular restaurants in the state's beach resort towns and has a total of 25 operations in at least four states.

His Delaware restaurants include Lupo di Mare and Papa Grande's, both in Rehoboth, Fish On in Lewes, NorthEast Kitchen in Ocean View, Matt's Fish Camp and Bluecoast, both in Bethany Beach, and Catch 54 and Papa Grande's in Fenwick Island.

Through his restaurants, catering business and consulting work, Haley employs up to 1,000 people during the summers and said he generates $45 to $50 million in revenue.

The 53-year-old received the James Beard Humanitarian of the Year Award in May at a star-studded ceremony at New York's LIncoln Center.

Haley was recognized for his good deeds both in Delaware and across the world. His moving speech about his love of Delaware and the restaurant community that embraced him after he overcame addiction to drugs and alcohol earned him a standing ovation.

"I'm a member of the most compassionate, caring industry in the world. There's no other industry that would have been there for me. Everybody shut their door on me when I got out of prison 20 years ago," Haley said after receiving his Beard medal, which he gave to his ailing mother.

Haley frequently spoke of his love for the restaurant community, for traveling and for helping others, especially the less fortunate.

Delaware Gov. Jack Markell extended his sympathies.

"Carla and I are devastated by the loss of our friend, Matt Haley. We joined Matt just last month at two of his restaurants and were inspired by his plans to bring his message of making the most of second chances and the importance of a healthy recovery to people across Delaware and the country," he said in a prepared statement.

"He was a world class humanitarian and we will miss him greatly. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

The news of Haley's death has stunned friends and restaurant colleagues.

"He lived the life of 50 people," said his longtime publicist Stacey Inglis. "He did so much, for so many. He just ate life every day."

The James Beard Foundation said Wednesday videos of Haley's speech and of his life story that played at the New York ceremony in May are among the most viewed videos on its website.

"We are all so sad," Beard Foundation resident Susan Ungaro said in a phone interview Wednesday afternoon. "He was just amazing. He touched the lives of thousands of people, not just in Delaware, but around the world."

Ungaro said she met Haley about 1 1/2 years ago at a Beard House dinner in New York. She said the story of his life, and of his humanitarian works, was presented to an awards committee for consideration for the Humanitarian of the Year Award.

Ungaro said the choice was obvious. "We said, 'This is our guy.'"

"There is some comfort in knowing that we honored him this year," Ungaro said.

Haley's passing echoed up and down Route 1 in southern Delaware, from his chefs at BlueCoast Grill in Bethany to Starboard restaurant in Dewey Beach. Starboard owner Steve Montgomery displayed a tribute to Haley on his restaurant's sign outside.

When Montgomery opened 16 years ago, Haley volunteered for four weeks in the kitchen making omelets.

"He was always helping others whether locally or globally," he said. "He's just somebody we appreciated everyday because he was always there to lend a hand. He was never competing against you, he was always there to help everyone."

Hari Cameron, chef and owner of a(MUSE.) in Rehoboth Beach said when he used to work at Nage, also in Rehoboth, Haley would frequently visit.

"He used to come to the window and talk about food," Cameron said.

It was great to see Haley grow businesses in Sussex County, Cameron said, and he was proud to see such a genuine person shine a light on Delaware's restaurant scene.

"He was always very supportive of the food community," Cameron said. "I know his giving spirit will live on in the Delaware community."

Sam Calagione, founder and president of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Delaware, also expressed sadness over Haley's death.

"Matt Haley was not only a great restaurateur but a great philanthropist and he touched a lot of people not just locally but globally. We lost one of the great leaders of our industry when Matt died today. My heart goes out to all of his coworkers at Sodel concepts and he will be missed.

"I'll just remember him for being innovative, competitive and really motivated to better the perception of the southern Delaware culinary world. He was a real leader down here. Very diverse and creative in terms of what he did with restaurants and that made everybody raise their game. He was good at what he did and he will be missed."

Daily Times staff writers Jon Bleiweis, Leigh Giangreco and Rachael Pacella contributed to this report.