"I was live updating about this incident and didn't know it was him," said Ravi Maini with the Cy-Fair Vol. Fire Department.
Assistant Chief Mark Braswell, who was also a captain with the Houston Fire Department, died in a freak accident Friday afternoon. Investigators say he was riding his bicycle on North Bridgeland Lake Parkway near Bridge Cove in northwest Harris County when he slammed into the rear of a landscaping trailer. He was severely injured and flown by LifeFlight to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he later died.
Rasa says Braswell was a triathlete who often rode as a way to reduce stress.
"Just a great person, a great friend. I never really thought of him as a boss," Rasa said.
Investigators still have not publicly explained what caused the incident.
Braswell joined the Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department in 1988. He also spent more than 20 years with HFD. He is remembered as a devoted husband and father.
Funeral arrangements are still being made.