Beloved Retired Columbia, MO, Firefighter Killed in Crash at Kennedale, TX, Speedway
Fire and rescue crews in Missouri are mourning the loss of a beloved colleague who died doing what he loved.
Retired Columbia Firefighter/EMT Billy Hurt was killed when his ATV crashed with another while he was responding to a wreck during the World of Outlaws race at the Kennedale Speedway in Texas.
Columbia ProfesFirefighters’ President Zack Privette told KRCG: “Billy was proud to be a public servant. He enjoyed his job. He always came to work with a smile on his face. He was never down and out. He showed up. He did his job and he was really good at it. He did it with an attitude that people wanted to work with him.”
A firefighter with Columbia Fire Department for more than 25 years, he shared his expertise in extrication and love of racing.
“You can see from the outpouring of support on social media that Billy had connections all over the State of Missouri and all over the Central United States from his teaching on the racing side and from the fire service side. He just had an impact on everybody in fire service.”
He had been an official with racing for about 23 years.
About the Author
Susan Nicol
News Editor
Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues.