An honor guard made up of several area fire and law enforcement departments passes through the intersection of U.S. Highway 69 north and state Highway 7 Friday as they escort Diboll firefighter Joe Parish back to Diboll. Parish died early Friday from injuries he received in a crash Wednesday afternoon while responding to a request for mutual aid from the Fuller Springs Volunteer Fire Department.
JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

The Lufkin Daily News
By VALERIE REDDELL/The Lufkin Daily News
September 1, 2023

Diboll firefighter Joe Parish, 67, died around 7:30 a.m. Friday after his vehicle left the roadway Wednesday while he was responding to a request for mutual aid from the Fuller Springs Volunteer Fire Department, Diboll fire chief Aaron Smith said.

Diboll police chief Michael Skillern said officers from his department responded to a one-vehicle crash on First Street in Diboll, where arriving officers found Parish alert and responsive.

“He became unresponsive about the time EMS arrived," Skillern said.

Parish was air-lifted to a Tyler hospital for emergency surgery, Smith said.

An honor guard made up of several fire departments in the region escorted Parish back to Diboll Friday afternoon.

Parish is survived by his wife Kathy.

Arrangements for services to honor Parish’s service to the community will be published in The Lufkin Daily News when they are finalized.