The quiet stretch of Highway 123 just south of Seguin was still wrapped in darkness when 67-year-old Cindy Wiatrek’s life came to a sudden halt. For neighbors who knew her gentle spirit, the news hit like a punch to the chest: a police officer, simply on his way to start his shift, had struck and killed her before sunrise on Wednesday morning. The shock of it spread fast through Seguin, the sort of small Texas community where everyone seems to know someone who knew her.
The crash unfolded around 5:55 a.m. in the 14000 block of State Highway 123 South, a familiar road that thousands travel every day without giving it much thought. But that morning, with the sky still black and headlights cutting through the early haze, the officer radioed in a message no one ever wants to hear—he’d been involved in a collision. Emergency crews from multiple agencies rushed in, their lights painting the roadway in red and blue as they tried to make sense of the scene.
When deputies from the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office and Seguin Fire/EMS arrived, any hope for a different outcome quickly faded. Wiatrek was pronounced dead at the scene. For first responders, even those hardened by years of tragic calls, there are moments that leave a mark. This was one of them. And for the community waking up to sirens echoing down the highway, it was a moment that would linger long after the scene cleared.
The Texas Department of Public Safety soon took over the investigation, working to piece together the chain of events that led to the fatal impact. At the same time, Seguin Police launched an internal review of their own. The officer, whose identity still hasn’t been publicly released, was placed on administrative leave—standard protocol, but a step that underscores the seriousness of what happened. Investigators will eventually look at everything from visibility and road conditions to speed and timing, trying to understand what went wrong in those final, irreversible seconds.
Officials have been quiet about the specifics, and for now, the public is left without many answers. What’s known is that the officer was driving a department-issued vehicle and was not responding to a call. Beyond that, investigators are working carefully, aware that every detail matters and that a family—and a city—deserves clarity.
Meanwhile, Seguin residents have begun doing what they do best: showing up for each other. Wiatrek’s name has been spoken with tenderness this week, shared in stories about her kindness and the simple ways she touched lives. In a town where community isn’t just a buzzword, the loss feels personal. People are grieving, but they’re also waiting—hoping investigators can shed light on the tragedy so healing can begin.
For now, the stretch of Highway 123 where Wiatrek died looks no different than it did before. Drivers pass by, unaware of the heartbreak that unfolded there in the dark. But for the people of Seguin, the memory of that morning lingers—a stark reminder of how quickly an ordinary moment can change everything, and how fragile the familiar routine of a new day can be.
