Lieutenant Joseph Boehm

WINONA — An East Texas firefighter has died.

Lt. Joseph Boehm, 29, of the Winona Volunteer Fire Department, died in a car crash Saturday night.

He was not on duty, the fire department said.

“It is with heavy and broken hearts we share” the news, the department said in a Facebook post Sunday night.

Boehm was a member of Winona Fire since 2021. He achieved his Firefighter 1 and 2 certifications, and was promoted to Lieutenant in 2023.

He was awarded Rookie of the Year his first year of service, and Firefighter of the Year the last two years in a row.

He leaves behind his loving wife, three children, extended family members, and his firefighter family.

“Rest easy our brother — we will take it from here,” the department said in its post.

Boehm’s impact on the community can be seen in the sea of comments and shares on social media pages of the department, his employer, and local news organizations.

State Firefighters’ and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas said in a comment, “We are so sad to hear this tragic news. Our thoughts are with Lt. Boehm’s family. Rest easy, sir.”

Boehm was also shop foreman, lead diesel mechanic and a teacher to many at Preferred On-Site Fleet Services of Texas in Tyler, according to a Facebook post from the company.

“… He (led) our crew with a caring and humble heart and was truly an inspiration to every customer and employee,” the company stated. “From the start of his career, he was always dedicated to all of us at Preferred On-Site Fleet Services of Texas.”

The company said it is broken-hearted by the news. They said he was a fabulous dad and loving husband.

Boehm, affectionally called “Joe Joe,” will be greatly missed by his work family along with “so many in our community,” the company said.

The service will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at Stewart Funeral Home in Tyler.

Donations to help his family with final expenses can be sent in care of Winona Volunteer Fire Department.

The Winona Fire Department has also established CashApp and PayPal accounts to receive donations for Boehm’s family. The CashApp account is $WinonaFireDepartment and the PayPal account is under account name Winona Volunteer Fire. The department asks givers to please note in the donation that the funds are for Boehm’s family.

On Monday afternoon, the Texas Department of Public Safety released details about what led to the crash.

The initial report found Boehm was driving north on FM 757 in Smith County around 6:50 p.m. Saturday night. Texas DPS said preliminary investigation indicates Boehm “disregarded the stop sign” at the intersection of FM 757 and FM 2767, causing a second vehicle to hit his SUV.

Boehm was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, DPS said, and was pronounced dead at the scene. He was the only person in the car.

The second vehicle was driven by Harold Johnson, 39, of Winona. He was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash, DPS said. Also in the vehicle was Faith Warren, 37, of Flint, who had her seat belt on, according to DPS. Both were taken to a local hospital with non-incapacitating injuries.

The posted speed limited at this area is 60 mph. The crash occurred about 9 miles east of Tyler.

Weather conditions were clear and dry.