A longtime truck driver and his traveling companion, ‘Buddy’ the terrier, were both struck and killed when the trucker tried to rescue his pet after it got loose from the cab of his big rig, parked on the side of Highway 69 in Kountze, and ran across the road.
Police Chief Brent Slaughter identifies the truck driver as Edward Joseph Farkas Sr., 61.
He died at about 6 a.m. Monday when he was struck by a car while trying to go after his pet on Highway 69, in front of Reed Ice Company and the Buy and Bye store.
Farkas’ son, Edward, told KFDM/Fox 4 his dad owned his own truck and earned a living as a super hauler, traveling across the country and transporting oversize loads. His father retired from full-time trucking about two years ago, while continuing to drive to earn extra money.
‘Buddy’ the western terrier was his traveling companion. ‘Buddy’ was about 12 years old.
Edward says his dad pretty much lived out of his truck, and he had some problems with the vehicle Sunday night. His dad pulled over on the side of Highway 69 in Kountze to rest and sleep a little.
‘Buddy’ was able to get away from the cab at about 6 a.m. Monday and started running across the highway. Edward Farkas Sr. ran after ‘Buddy’ to rescue him from the traffic when Edward was struck and killed at the scene. ‘Buddy’ was also hit and died.
“My dad was fun-loving,” his son told KFDM. “He had a barbeque business. He was always down to help anyone in need. One of his favorite things to do was feed anyone. He didn’t care who you were. There was no judgment, he would feed you.”
Edward says he wants to bring his father’s ashes back to the place he loved, Louisiana.
“He was from Louisiana,” said Edward. “He loved cooking. He was a great dad, lovable, always there for us. I won’t sell his truck. I’ll fix it up like he wanted to. All donations will go towards cremation costs and taking him home to Louisiana and spreading his ashes at his favorite place.”
Leave a Reply