Colleagues say West firefighter died saving others

Pharmacist Randy Niemeyer at West Old Corner Drug tended to his duties with a heavy heart. He left his position behind the counter to greet and swap news with a longtime acquaintance a little hard of hearing.

“We lost a firefighter yesterday,” said Niemeyer, his voice carrying. Later, that voice cracked as Niemeyer talked about working side-by-side with Hykel on occasion while battling fires. It seems Hykel had worn the same hat the past 30 years, and the man beneath it routinely arrived before anyone.

“He was a hard worker. His boots were always dusty, and his hat was always dirty,” said Niemeyer, who agreed a heavy cloud was hanging over West.

A rosary will be recited for Hykel at 4 p.m. Sunday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church of the Assumption in West, followed by visitation until 6 p.m., according to Aderhold Funeral Home, which is handling services.

Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 10 a.m. Monday at St. Mary’s, with the Rev. Walter Dhanwar as celebrant, assisted by Deacon Robin Waters and the Rev. John Crowder. Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery.

McLennan County Justice of the Peace David Pareya, whose precinct includes West, said another county justice, Walter H. (Pete) Peterson, ordered an autopsy Tuesday evening. Pareya said Peterson may receive preliminary findings in the next day or two, if he hasn’t received them already.

“I’ve known him personally a number of years. You couldn’t ask for a better guy. He went through the explosion, and I consider him a hero, along with all the rest of them,” said Pareya, referencing the deadly fertilizer plant explosion in 2013 that killed 15 and injured hundreds.

“His is a well-known family in our community,” said Pareya. “I’m sure there will be a lot of public service people at the funeral service. Unfortunately, we had to go through that with the explosion.”

The Department of Public Safety continues to investigate the incident involving a tractor-trailer rig that crashed into a West firefighting vehicle around which two DPS units had parked. DPS spokesman Sgt. Ryan Howard said in a release the Peterbilt truck “disregarded the traffic control devices and struck the fire truck and two patrol units,” striking Hykel in the process.

Pareya said Hykel expired en route to the hospital.

Howard said in an interview Wednesday the driver has not been arrested or charged with a crime, and the DPS no longer is detaining him.

“Whether there will be charges filed or not, I can’t say,” said Howard on Wednesday. “We did our roadside investigation yesterday. We’re finishing up all that before a decision is made. He’s not trying to hide from us.

“He’s cooperating with us,” Howard added.

Two West emergency personnel told the Tribune-Herald Hykel shoved a DPS trooper away from the big rig’s path, taking the brunt of the blow himself. Howard said Wednesday he could not confirm that scenario. He said both troopers injured in the accident have left the hospital.

West EMS carried Hykel to Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead despite resuscitation efforts during the trip.

Emergency responders Wednesday declined to speak on the record, but painted a composite sketch of Hykel that portrayed him as the best West had to offer. “All cowboy” is how one described him. He raised cattle on the edge of town, rodeoed in his younger days and played football for the West Trojans.

Mayor Tommy Muska said Hykel was married and had two grown children. He worked many years for the city of West’s public works department.

The family has asked that memorials be made to the West Volunteer Fire Department or to a scholarship fund for Hykel’s grandchildren.

2013 explosion

This was not the Hykel family’s first exposure to tragedy. Eddie Hykel was knocked skyward and then to the ground by the West fertilizer plant explosion in 2013, the 10th anniversary of which arrives April 17. A wooden beam inflicted considerable damage to Hykel, severely injuring his shoulder and causing an eye injury that required surgery to save his sight.

But one colleague suggested Wednesday the tragedy that took Hykel’s life should not be linked in conversation or media coverage with the blast a decade ago. He said the wreck has some people questioning what they do in and for society. Interstate 35, he said, has become a death trap. Motorists seemingly don’t care about the speed they travel or the lives they endanger.

“The best,” is what he called Hykel. “Pray for his family.”

“A lot of people are taking this hard,” said Muska. “The community got that deep, deep cut from 10 years ago, and we think that cut would have healed. But something like this splits it open, and all the memories come out.”

Texas and U.S. flags were flying at half staff around West on Wednesday. People were bringing food dishes to the West fire station, where a mechanic was servicing a “loaner” fire truck from a neighboring community. It will be used until the unit damaged Tuesday can be repaired.