Daniel Borunda | El Paso Times

Courtesy Crime Stoppers of El Paso, El Paso Times

The Fort Hancock fire chief died Wednesday evening when the firetruck he was driving rolled over in a traffic accident.

The crash occurred at 6:40 p.m. as Fire Chief Manuel Galindo Jr., 71, was driving a firetruck east on State Highway 20 in Fort Hancock, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

"For unknown reasons at this time, the firetruck was driven partially off the roadway," a DPS news release stated. "The driver overcorrected, steering the firetruck back toward the roadway, causing it to overturn."

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town's population was 1,898 in 2018.

Keep up with local news. Get a digital subscription to the elpasotimes.com.

Galindo was thrown from the truck when it overturned before the truck came to rest upright, DPS said. Galindo died at the scene.

DPS noted that the weather was clear and the road was dry when the crash occurred.

Texas Highway Patrol troopers and deputies with the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene.

"Our hearts and thoughts are with the Ft. Hancock Fire Dept. and the family of friends of Fire Chief Manuel Galindo Jr.," the El Paso Fire Department said in a tweet Thursday.

Fort Hancock is a small town about 40 miles east of El Paso.

Firefighter injured: El Paso police search for driver who hit firefighter on Trans Mountain Road

{{props.notification}} {{props.tag}} {{props.expression}} {{props.linkSubscribe.text}} {{#modules.acquisition.inline}}{{/modules.acquisition.inline}} ... Our reporting. Your stories. Get unlimited digital access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now

Daniel Borunda may be reached at 915-546-6102; dborunda@elpasotimes.com; @BorundaDaniel on Twitter.