Honoring the fallen: Texas Brotherhood Ride journeys to New London to honor firefighter

EAST TEXAS (KLTV) - A group of firefighters, police officers, and EMS personnel who have been doing a bicycle ride across Texas to honor first responders killed in the line of duty are continuing their trek through East Texas Monday.

The 2019 Texas Brotherhood Ride is a 650-mile bike ride from Hempstead to Austin done by fellow first responders to honor those who have fallen.

Two East Texans are on the list of first responders honored. The first one is New London volunteer firefighter M.V. Hudson. Hudson died in 2018 from injuries received when a water truck he was riding in crashed on Farm-to-Market 850 while en route to a grass fire. Riders are expected to make their way through New London on their way to Tyler from Nacogdoches Monday.

Another East Texan honored by the ride is Nacogdoches County deputy Raymond Bradley “Brad” Jimerson, who was struck and killed by a vehicle on Oct. 5, 2018, as he was removing debris from U.S. Highway 259. The riders made their way through Lufkin and Nacogdoches Sunday in his honor.

The riders will head to Dallas from Tyler on Tuesday, continuing towards Austin.

The ride started in Hempstead on August 17. It will end in Austin on August 24.