Texas firefighter dies after crash while responding to a fire
Diboll Firefighter Joe Parish’s vehicle left the road while he was responding to a mutual aid request
Duty Death: Joe Parish - [Diboll, Texas]
End of Service: 09/01/2023
By Bill Carey
FireRescue1
DIBOLL, Texas — A Texas firefighter has died after being in a crash while responding to a fire.
Diboll Fire Department Fire Chief Aaron Smith announced on the department's Facebook page that Firefighter Joe Parish had succumbed to his injuries.
"Joe left this place and no doubt went to one much better," Smith wrote. "It is sometimes difficult to understand the things that happen and make sense of them in that moment."
The Lufkin Daily News reported that Parish, 67, was injured after his vehicle left the roadway while responding to a mutual aid request from the Fuller Springs Volunteer Fire Department on Aug. 30.
Diboll Police Chief Michael Skillern said officers found Parish alert and responsive, but he became unresponsive when EMS arrived.
Skillern said EMS flew Parish to a hospital in Tyler for emergency surgery.
