Town morns loss of Chamber leader

Yorktown Economic Development Corporation executive director, Yorktown Western Days and Yorktown Chamber event coordinator Tammy Bitterly died in an early morning wreck on US Highway 87.

According to law enforcement the two-vehicle crash near Westhoff happened shortly before 2 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 25. Bitterly was driving a Buick Enclave  traveling towards Cuero on US Highway 87 when she crossed into the northbound lane, striking the trailer of a truck tractor and trailer hauling crude oil. The SUV entered a side-skid, spinning 180 degrees in the roadway. Bitterly was not wearing a seatbelt and died on impact.

The truck tractor and trailer hauling crude oil traveled into the ditch, struck a fence and rolled over. The driver, Matthew Neely, 34, of Victoria, was taken to  Cuero Regional Hospital and then to SAMC with non-life threatening injuries.

Bitterly was pronounced dead at 2:55 a.m. by Justice of the Peace, Pct. 1 Peggy Mayer.

Bitterly was a member of several collaborating organizations in the area to help promote Yorktown.

Cuero Chamber of Commerce director Angie Cuellar described Bitterly as “very well known in the Chamber industry. She will be greatly missed by all that knew her. She was a true leader, had a servant’s heart, friend to all and one of a kind.”

Along with her many duties with the chamber and YEDC, Bitterly was most recently helping plan the upcoming Miss Yorktown Pageant with board members.