Killeen father killed in Temple crash was minutes from work, family says

TEMPLE, Texas - A Killeen family is mourning the loss of a 26-year-old father of two who they say was just three minutes away from work when he was killed in a crash in Temple. [KWTX-TV News 10]

A 26-year-old Killeen man was killed Friday afternoon when his vehicle collided with a box truck at a major intersection in Temple. Joshua Tillman-Lemons was pronounced dead at the scene following the crash that occurred at approximately 1:29 p.m. at the intersection of Northwest H.K. Dodgen Loop and Industrial Boulevard. Justice of the Peace Larry Wilkey certified the death at the location.

According to Temple police investigators, an eastbound box truck struck a northbound vehicle in the intersection. A second occupant of the box truck sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Relatives said Tillman-Lemons was in the final stages of his commute when the collision occurred. His mother, Cathleen Fight, expressed difficulty accepting the loss of her son. "I just think it's not real," she said. "He's such an outgoing person. His smile is so contagious. His laughter, it goes through the house. I just ... it's still unbelievable."

Tillman-Lemons' father, Jerald Fight, remembered his son as a warmhearted individual with an infectious disposition. "Josh was just a bright person," Fight said. "He smiled all the time. Cared about everybody." His sister, Kathryn Tillman-Lemons, emphasized the depth of her brother's affection for others. "He loved. He loved hard. He loved everybody," she said. "That's why this hurts so bad."

The fatality has renewed scrutiny of safety conditions on H.K. Dodgen Loop, also designated Loop 363. A Texas Department of Transportation analysis of 2025 crash data identified the intersection of General Bruce Drive and South H.K. Dodgen Loop as among Texas' most accident-prone locations, recording 77 collisions and 39 injuries throughout the year. The Industrial Boulevard intersection where Tillman-Lemons died represents a separate problem area along the same corridor.

News outlets requested five years of historical crash data from TxDOT for the entire H.K. Dodgen Loop corridor, specifically including information about incidents at Industrial Boulevard. The agency's Traffic Safety Division has begun processing the information request.