City Marshal Donald W. Smiley

Donald W. Smiley

City Marshal Donald Smiley was struck and killed while trying to wake up the driver of a stalled pick-up truck.

As he stood beside the truck, a tractor-trailer nicked the left rear of the officer's car, which was behind the pick-up with his emergency lights on. The truck slid along the patrol car and the pick-up, striking Marshal Smiley and throwing him into the eastbound lane of Highway 54. As the tractor-trailer's driver was parking his rig, an eastbound vehicle ran over Marshal Smiley but continued on. Marshal Smiley died minutes later.

The pick-up driver was cited for driving under the influence. The tractor-trailer driver was cited for failure to control his speed. The second vehicle and driver were never located.

Marshal Smiley was a United States Army Korean War veteran and was the sole law enforcement officer in the city of Texhoma. He was survived by his wife, six daughters, three sons, and 13 grandchildren.