A Texas fire chief was killed in a tragic accident just two weeks before his pregnant wife was due to give birth to their child. 

Charles Woodward was struck by a Chevrolet while directing traffic after an annual rodeo in the town of Mabank on Saturday night. 

The rodeo draws thousands of spectators. One worker described the ‘crowded’ scene. 

‘There was not even enough room for everybody to sit. It was so crowded,’ concession stand worker Bettie Busby told KLTV.

As the rodeo came to a close, Busby and the crew were told Woodward had been hit by a vehicle. 

‘They just came and told us that Charlie Woodward had been hit by a vehicle and that he was doing bad,’ Busby told the outlet. 

‘It knocked him out of his shoes it was so bad. So, we circled up, and we prayed.’ 

Woodward was rushed to the hospital but later died from his injuries. 

Texas DPS said the Chevrolet driver was unharmed and the crash remains under investigation. 

The Daily Mail reached out to the state’s department of public safety for additional comment.

Amanda and Charlie Woodward posed with their children

Woodward’s final Facebook post featured a photo of himself and his daughter smiling together in their softball jerseys

Beyond his role as fire chief, Woodward also served as the city’s fire marshal and a police officer

Beyond his role as fire chief, Woodward also served as the city’s fire marshal and a police officer. 

‘The whole community loves him,’ Busby said. ‘He has two kids, and his wife’s expecting in two weeks.’

The community paid tribute to Woodward on Tuesday morning as his remains were escorted from Highway 175 to Mason Street. 

Residents lined the streets after being invited to honor the beloved fire chief. 

Lauren Odom, who co-coached softball with Woodward, said his death has left a void 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 was chilling – it featured a photo of himself and his daughter smiling together in their softball jerseys. 

‘I have a photo just like this with my dad. After he passed away, it was one of the first pictures I came across,’ he posted on Facebook in June.

Woodward was struck and killed by a Chevrolet while directing traffic after the annual Mabank Rodeo on Saturday night

Residents lined the streets after being invited to honor the beloved fire chief

‘Instantly, it took me back to those ball fields where he taught me the game but more importantly, where he taught me about life.

‘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. It was life being taught, memories being made, and values being passed from one generation to the next,’ the late father wrote.

Funeral services for Woodward are scheduled for Thursday at 10am at the Mabank Pavilion on Easley Parkway.