Former FLW Tour angler Kyle Mabrey, of McCalla, Ala., was killed Sunday night in a one-car accident in Bessemer, Ala. Mabrey was 42.
According to various published news reports out of Birmingham, Ala., Mabrey was towing a boat with a Chevy Tahoe SUV while traveling north on Interstate 459 when the vehicle left the highway and went down an embankment between the northbound and southbound lanes.
The boat and trailer came to rest on railroad tracks that cross under Interstate 495. The time of the accident is unclear, but late Sunday night the boat was struck by a Norfolk Southern train, causing Mabrey to be ejected from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly before midnight. Mabrey was traveling alone and no other injuries were reported.
News of Mabrey’s death circulated quickly through the bass fishing community. Elite Series angler Dave Lefebre received word of Mabrey’s passing Monday morning during the first practice day prior to this week’s Lake Okeechobee Elite Series. Lefebre and Mabrey were roommates when both fished the FLW Tour.
“He’s truly a good dude, one of the few,” Lefebre said. “It makes no sense.”
"He was a friend of mine out here," added FLW Tour angler Mark Rose. "I can say, without reservation, he was one of, if not, the nicest guys in our sport. He’s going to be deeply missed and my heart just breaks for his wife and two kids."
Mabrey, who worked as a pediatric respiratory specialist at Children's Hospital of Alabama and also launched Yellow Hammer Lures during the height of the umbrella-rig craze, recorded five top-10 finishes on Tour between 2008-2012 before taking 3 years off. He returned to the Tour in 2016, but was not competing on the circuit this year.
Mabrey is survived by wife, Beth, and two children.
UPDATE: A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist Mabrey's wife and children.
