CLYDE, Texas — The tight‑knit Clyde and Baird communities are reeling after siblings Brileigh Janae Dailey, 19, and her brother Kyler Dailey, 16, died in a grisly train‑truck collision Sunday afternoon, Feb. 1, 2026. The tragedy unfolded at a rural railroad crossing near FM 18 and County Road 243, just west of Clyde, about 15 miles from Abilene in West Texas.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the pair were riding in a 1994 Ford F‑150 when it was struck by an oncoming train at about 2:45 p.m. The force of the impact pushed the truck off the tracks and ignited a fire. First responders pronounced both Brileigh and Kyler dead at the scene. The train crew escaped uninjured.
Brileigh, a 2025 Clyde High School graduate from Baird, was known in her community for her years on the softball diamond and in cheer squads. Kyler, a junior at Clyde High, was active in football and track. Friends and family remember them as vibrant, kind spirits with bright futures ahead.
Eyewitness accounts and early DPS reports say the pickup failed to yield as it crossed the tracks, though investigators are still piecing together the final moments before impact. The region’s rural crossings have sparse warnings, and officials often remind drivers to be extra cautious.
At Clyde High School on Monday, grief was heavy. The superintendent told local media that staff and students were offered grief counseling and support. Teachers, classmates, and therapists worked quietly in hallways and classrooms to help students process the shock. Some therapy dogs even visited to offer comfort.
In Baird and Clyde, churches and local businesses have become hubs for support and remembrance. A GoFundMe launched to support the Dailey family has gathered community donations to help with funeral costs, relieving some financial burden during this unbearably sad time.
Friends describe Brileigh as someone whose laugh could fill a room and Kyler as a joyful, warm‑hearted presence in every crowd. Their shared love for life and close bond marked every memory people hold now. Tales of their kindness are being shared across social media and at vigils, painting a picture of young lives that brought light to many.
As the community slowly grapples with the reality of this loss, tributes continue pouring in. Churches are filling with prayer, schools are holding moments of silence, and townsfolk are leaning on one another. In Clyde and beyond, Brileigh and Kyler will be remembered not merely for how they died but for the joy, laughter, and promise that touched every corner of their lives.
