Mabank, Texas – Fire Chief Charles Woodward died Saturday night after being struck by a vehicle while directing traffic following the town's annual rodeo. Woodward was two weeks away from the birth of his third child.
The accident occurred as the rodeo, which draws thousands of spectators, was concluding. A concession stand worker described the scene as crowded.
"There was not even enough room for everybody to sit. It was so crowded," Bettie Busby told KLTV. "They just came and told us that Charlie Woodward had been hit by a vehicle and that he was doing bad."
Woodward was transported to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries. The driver of the Chevrolet that struck him was unharmed. The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the incident.
Beyond his role as fire chief, Woodward also served as the city's fire marshal and a police officer. Residents lined the streets on Tuesday morning as his remains were escorted from Highway 175 to Mason Street, honoring the fallen chief.
"The whole community loves him," Busby said. "He has two kids, and his wife’s expecting in two weeks."
Lauren Odom, who co-coached softball with Woodward, noted the void his death has left in the community. "I don’t think that there’s anybody on this earth that could have been more joyful than him," Odom told KLTV. "And he was a servant, a true definition of a servant."
Woodward's final Facebook post, shared in June, featured a photo of himself and his daughter in softball jerseys. He reflected on how such photos evoke memories of life lessons learned on the field, not just about sports but about life itself.
"My hope is that one day, when my kids look back at pictures like this, they’ll understand that it wasn’t just sports we were doing together," he wrote. "It was life being taught, memories being made, and values being passed from one generation to the next."
Funeral services are scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Mabank Pavilion on Easley Parkway.