Hoyt firefighter killed in Wednesday truck accident

A Hoyt volunteer firefighter was killed and another firefighter in­jured in a Wednesday afternoon ac­cident that occurred while the two firemen were on their way to par­ticipate in the Jackson County Fair Parade in Holton.

Captain Michael L. Schultz, 47, of Hoyt, a member of the Hoyt Fire Department for nearly 25 years, was pronounced dead at a Topeka hospital after the accident, which happened on U.S. Highway 75 about a mile north of Mayetta. In­jured in the accident was Assistant Chief Randy R. Smith, 36, of Mayetta, according to a Kansas Highway Patrol report.

“What was supposed to be an evening of fun in Jackson County quickly turned into a tragic night­mare,” Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse said of the accident on social media. “Two volunteer firemen who planned on participating in the annual routine of representing their department in the county’s fair pa­rade when a horrific tragedy oc­curred.”

At about 4:50 p.m., Schultz was driving a 2004 Peterbilt fire tanker truck north on U.S. 75 toward Holton with Smith as a passenger when the truck’s left front tire re­portedly blew out. The truck then veered off the roadway to the left and into the median, then crossed into the highway’s southbound lanes before hitting an embankment and overturning.

Schultz and Smith were taken by separate Jackson County EMS am­bulances to Stormont-Vail Re­gional Medical Center in Topeka, where Schultz was pronounced dead at about 7:30 p.m. Morse said Smith sustained severe injuries in the accident; neither was wearing a safety belt at the time of the acci­dent, according to KHP.

“We at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office honor both of these men for their unselfish sacrifice and service to their community here in Jackson County,” Morse said.

The accident reduced both northbound and southbound U.S. 75 to one lane for several hours while emergency personnel inves­tigated the accident. Southbound U.S. 75 was still at one lane at about 10 p.m. Wednesday after the northbound lanes were reopened, and it was reported crews were on scene well into Thursday morning.

Hoyt Fire Chief Ed Kester said Smith’s condition had improved, and Smith was eventually released from the hospital. Kester also noted that the truck with Schultz and Smith was one of four firefighting vehicles on their way to Holton for the fair parade.

All area firefighters who had come to Holton to participate in the fair parade that evening pulled out of the parade shortly before it began, reportedly as a show of support for the Hoyt Fire Department. A moment of silence also was observed for Schultz — whose family was active in 4-H — at Thursday’s livestock auction.

Funeral services for Schultz were scheduled for Monday morning, it was reported. An obituary for Schultz appears on our obituary page.