Mabank Fire Chief Killed in Pedestrian Crash on US Business 175

Reported June 28, 2026

Fatal

The Mabank Fire Chief was struck and killed late Saturday night while directing traffic at a community rodeo in Kaufman County, when a Chevrolet pickup truck hit him as he stepped into the westbound lane of US Business 175, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety and local officials.

• Dual Role In Public Safety: Woodard served both as the Mabank City Fire Chief and as a police officer, making his loss a particularly wide-ranging blow to the city’s small public safety community.
• Community Event Setting: The crash occurred near the rodeo grounds during a community rodeo, a setting where traffic management is typically informal and relies heavily on volunteer or part-time personnel directing vehicles along active roadways.
• Driver Not Injured: According to Texas DPS, the driver of the Chevrolet pickup truck involved was uninjured, and the investigation into the circumstances of the crash is ongoing.
• Community Response: The Texas Municipal Police Association, the Mabank Police Department, and the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office all publicly mourned Woodard’s death, with the family requesting privacy as of the initial report.

Texas DPS said it was dispatched to a vehicle versus pedestrian crash at the intersection of US Business 175 and County Road 4006 at approximately 10:30 p.m. The agency’s preliminary report indicates that Woodard stepped into the westbound lane of US Business 175 while directing traffic in the vicinity of the rodeo grounds, and was struck by an oncoming Chevrolet pickup truck. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The Mabank Fire Department confirmed his death, and the investigation remains open. You can read the original reporting from CBS Texas.

The Texas Municipal Police Association described the event as a “heartbreaking loss,” and in a public statement said, “TMPA joins the Mabank community, his family, loved ones, fellow officers, firefighters, and all who served beside him in mourning this heartbreaking loss.” The Mabank Police Department added that Woodard’s “service and dedication to the citizens of Mabank will not be forgotten,” and the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office extended condolences via social media. The family has asked for privacy during this period.

Where Mabank Sits and Why This Road Matters

Mabank is a small city in Kaufman County, located roughly an hour southeast of Dallas along the US Business 175 corridor near Cedar Creek Lake. The area draws steady weekend traffic, particularly during warm-weather community events, with US Business 175 functioning as a main surface street through town rather than a limited-access highway, meaning vehicles and pedestrians interact at relatively close range throughout the corridor. That combination of local activity and through-traffic can create conditions where speed and visibility become critical factors, especially after dark.

Community rodeos, fairs, and outdoor events in smaller Texas towns often rely on local officers, firefighters, or volunteers to manage vehicle flow on adjacent public roads, since those gatherings rarely have formal traffic infrastructure in place. For example, when a large crowd exits a fairground or rodeo arena at the same time, foot traffic and vehicle traffic converge quickly on nearby intersections, and the person directing traffic becomes the primary safeguard between the two, often standing in the roadway itself without the protection of concrete barriers or dedicated traffic control devices.

Pedestrian Safety Around Traffic Control Operations

Pedestrian fatalities involving individuals directing or controlling traffic are a recognized occupational hazard in Texas and nationally. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has long documented that pedestrians struck by vehicles in roadway work or control zones face severe outcomes because they’re often stationary or moving slowly while vehicles approach at speed. Nighttime conditions reduce driver reaction time further, since even a person wearing a reflective vest can blend into a visually busy background of event lighting, headlight glare, and roadside activity. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) encourages the use of channelizing devices, advance warning signs, and adequate lighting at any location where personnel must stand in or near active travel lanes, even temporarily.

When a crash like this occurs on a public road, the Texas Department of Public Safety handles the initial investigation, and findings are typically documented in a formal crash report that may later inform decisions about event permitting, traffic control protocols, and road safety improvements. Fault determinations in vehicle-versus-pedestrian crashes depend on factors including vehicle speed, driver attentiveness, visibility conditions, and whether proper signage or traffic control measures were in place, none of which has been formally established in this preliminary report. The TxDOT crash records system maintains statewide data on such incidents to help identify patterns and guide future safety planning.

• Nighttime Visibility Challenges: After-dark crashes involving pedestrians in roadways are disproportionately severe, because drivers have less time to identify and react to a person standing in a travel lane, even when that person is wearing high-visibility clothing.
• Event Traffic on Surface Roads: Unlike controlled-access highways, surface routes like US Business 175 pass through active intersections and alongside event venues, making it harder to separate spectator foot traffic from vehicle flow without physical barriers.
• Temporary Traffic Control Standards: TxDOT and the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices set guidelines for how temporary traffic control should be set up, including the use of advance warning signs and flagger protection, to reduce risk for anyone directing vehicles near an active event.
• Ongoing Investigation Caution: Because Texas DPS has stated the investigation is continuing, any conclusions about the specific circumstances of this crash remain preliminary, and the official report may revise or expand on the initial account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Is Investigating This Crash

The Texas Department of Public Safety responded to the scene and is conducting the formal crash investigation. The investigation was listed as ongoing as of the initial report published on June 28, 2026.

Was the Truck Driver Charged

The source article does not report any charges against the driver of the Chevrolet pickup truck. Texas DPS confirmed the driver was not physically injured, and no further details about the driver’s status have been made public in this initial report.

Where Did the Crash Happen Exactly

Texas DPS placed the crash at the intersection of US Business 175 and County Road 4006 in Mabank, Kaufman County, near the local rodeo grounds, at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, 2026.