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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Dad Died in Crash Hours After Birth of 5th Baby. Now Wife Adjusts to Life as a Single Mom with a Newborn (Exclusive)
Captain Marvin Taylor III was a committed father and husband, working overtime to provide for his growing family Tragically, he died hours after his wife gave birth to their fifth child His grieving family is still in "disbelief," Fire Chief James Kubinski tells PEOPLEA Texas fire captain died hours after welcoming his fifth baby and weeks after his death, his grieving family and coworkers are still grappling with their new reality. 'Your fifth child comes into the world and, a few hours later, you leave to go check on the other four kids and pick them up to bring them back to meet their new sibling.' Fire Chief James Kubinski, who worked with Captain Marvin Taylor III before the fatal accident on Mother's Day, tells PEOPLE. "He never came back," adds Kubinski. Taylor had just left a hospital in Austin after meeting his newborn when he was hit from behind in the early morning hours of Sunday, May 11. 'It was an intoxicated driver traveling at over a hundred miles per hour,' says Kubinski, 49. 'That driver was immediately detained by police and arrested." Officials told CBS affiliate KWTX that 34-year-old Rodney Bremby was arrested in Taylor's death. A spokesperson for the Travis County Jail confirms to PEOPLE that Bremby arrived on May 11 and was held on a $103,000 bond. He is charged with intoxication manslaughter and was released two days later on a personal recognizance bond. The spokesperson says he will wear an ankle monitor until his court date. It is unclear if Bremby has retained representation. An investigation is ongoing, the Austin Police Department confirms to PEOPLE. The City of Austin Municipal Court did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. In the weeks since Taylor's death, his family is still in 'disbelief,' says Kubinski. Now Taylor's wife is not only 'adjusting to a newborn, but she's adjusting to a newborn without her husband," he remarks. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The fire department in Killeen — which consists of 264 sworn civil service personnel and about a dozen administrative staff — is also shaken by the sudden loss of one of its longstanding leaders. Taylor joined the fire department in 2014, and recently started working in the training division 10 months ago. He quickly doubled the pool of new applicants from approximately 150 to 400 in that short period. Kubinski admired his passion and commitment to the job, adding that he couldn't speak any higher of someone in Taylor's position. Last fall, as a heavy storm system ravaged parts of Texas, the captain was one of three service members deployed from the Killeen Fire Department. During that deployment, Taylor helped save a stranger from floodwaters, for which he received a Medal of Valor. 'That was part of the eulogy that was shared by one of his shift mates,' says Kubinski. 'They talked about that incident with so much pride.' The captain was the sole provider for his growing family, often taking extra shifts to support his wife and children. The kids, all boys, were named after Catholic saints. In one of Kubinski's last interactions with Taylor, they talked about the new baby. 'I said, 'Which baby is this? Which number is this?' He said, 'This is my number five,' ' recalls Kubinski, who joked that Taylor could have his own 'engine company.' 'He laughed,' says Kubinski. 'He was a family man.' The fire chief says that navigating the news of Taylor's death has been one of the hardest things he's personally experienced, as it has been for many who knew Taylor. Despite their collective pain, the department rallied around Taylor's family. A two-person honor guard stood over Taylor's remains for 10 days, which was followed by a funeral service at a catholic church in Copperas Cove, a miles-long procession and final honors at the graveside. Separately, a fund that was created in Taylor's memory has raised more than $145,000 as of Tuesday, June 3. 'We're still grieving,' remarks Kubinski, who says there are still moments when they get teary-eyed when thinking about what the captain would have done or said. "We're still hurting.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Killeen fire captain killed in crash; man charged with intoxication manslaughter
The Brief Killeen fire captain Marvin Taylor was killed on Mother's Day in North Austin He had just welcomed his fifth child into the world Rodney Bremby was arrested for intoxication manslaughter in connection with the crash KILLEEN, Texas - A Killeen fire captain was killed in a crash on Mother's Day, just shortly after welcoming his fifth child into the world. "It was 100% devastating," said Killeen Fire Chief James Kubinski. "It was pure disbelief without a doubt." What we know Captain Marvin Taylor III has worked with the Killeen Fire Department since 2014. He was leaving the hospital after delivering his fifth child when he was hit and killed in a car crash on Mother's Day. An Austin Police officer witnessed the two-vehicle collision on Sunday at 1:05 a.m. in North Austin. The officer was next to Taylor at a stoplight at the intersection of East Koeing Lane and Airport Boulevard. He reported seeing a black Dodge SUV rear-end, the blue Toyota Sienna that Taylor was driving. The force of the impact threw Taylor's van 150 feet, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Taylor was leaving the hospital and on the way to pick up his other children to meet their new baby brother when he was killed on Mother's Day. What they're saying "This is a tremendous loss," said Kubinski. "We have continued the grieving process as an entire department. I don't believe that there's a single person on this department that Marvin did not interact with over his 10 years here." "Marvin, it was very important to him to be the sole provider for his family of five boys so that his wife Samantha was able to raise their kids and take care of all the needs," added Kubinski. Taylor is described as a positive person who always finds a solution to any problem and has a larger-than-life personality. "I remember one of his first weeks here," said Kubinski. "He came in my office and said, 'I know that this wasn't a selected assignment, but I do know that I'm going to do the best job that I can do. I'm gonna make you proud of the work that I am going to do.'" What we know 34-year-old Rodney Bremby was arrested for intoxication manslaughter. According to court documents, the black Dodge Durango had electronic data storage, which allowed investigators to see how fast Bremby was going. The speed limit on Koeing Lane is 45 MPH. The sensory diagnostic module showed Bremby was traveling 103 MPH upon impact. Bremby bonded out of the Travis County Jail on Wednesday with a scheduled court date for July 2. The incident is being investigated as Austin's 28th fatal crash of 2025, resulting in 32 deaths. What you can do Chief Kubinski said the community has shown overwhelming love and support for the family. "We want to make sure that we set up the family for success for the long run and not just the short term," said Kubinski. "Anybody is welcome to drop off any donations, and we will ensure that they are delivered directly to the family without any issue." Anyone who wants to donate to the Taylor family may drop off donations at the Killeen Fire Department or donate online. The Source Information in this report comes from reporting/interviews by FOX 7 Austin's Katie Pratt
