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Ark. assistant chief dies in crash while responding to a call

Lucas Stephenson was pronounced dead at the scene after his truck overturned multiple times

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Photo/Miller County Office of Emergency Management

By Leila Merrill

TEXARKANA, Ark. — Lucas Stephenson, 25, assistant chief with the Mandeville Volunteer Fire Department in Texarkana, Ark., died Tuesday night in a motor vehicle crash on Arkansas Highway 296, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

Stephenson was responding to an accident on the highway when the brush truck he was driving overturned multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation is in progress.

He served as a firefighter in Miller County since 2013 and was promoted to assistant chief two years ago, KTBS3 reported.

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“It’s a tough loss. He was like my brother. We sweat together during the summer and froze to death during the winter. He was my brother and it’s going to be hard,” Chief Travis Loehr told KSLA.

A memorial service is planned for Sunday.

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