A community in the Metro East is urging people to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles.
It comes after a tow operator was killed while trying to remove a broken-down car from the highway.
'It's still a shock', are the words East Carondelet Mayor Herb Simmons used to describe the loss of his friend 57-year-old Wade Bivins.
Captain Kyle Foutch with the Prairie Du Pont Fire Department was also a close friend to Wade, he says the accidents need to stop.
"Wade, you couldn't just call him a friend he was more than a friend, he was family," Cpt. Foutch.
Wade was hit and killed by another driver Wednesday around 10 a.m.
He was working for Paw Paw Towing, responding to a broken down car on the right shoulder of Interstate 255 southbound at mile marker 6, near Dupo.
Illinois State Police say Wade was hit when he walked around the left side of the tow truck.
He was pronounced dead on the scene, the driver stayed on the scene.
"This is happening far too often now," Foutch said.
Simmons wants more legislation in place for protecting people like Wade.
"When you see a red light ahead that usually means an officer is up there. People see a yellow light they think it's a utility truck…they're important don't get me wrong, but they see the yellow lights and they think 'oh so what'," Simmons said.
Bivins not only was a tow truck driver but a volunteer firefighter with the Prairie Du Pont Fire Department. He'd been with the service since the 80's, often helping out with fish fry's and holiday parties playing Santa Claus in between helping people on their worst days.
"Wade would be the one who would want to jump in the ambulance and go to the hospital with them and here in the community it was the same thing," Simmons said.
Simmons and Foutch want people to know one thing when they see any flashing lights.
"If you see a car on the side of the road, just move over," Foutch said.
Paw Paw towing released the following statement:
"Wade Bivins was not only our full time day-time driver, but he was a part of our family. He was an amazing man who loved his family and friends with his whole heart. He would always go out of the way to help anyone who needed it. Losing him has been devastating to the company. The owner, David Monterusso, has known Wade for over 30 years. They worked together on the Prairie DuPont fire department. In April of this year, Wade joined our company and our family."
Paw Paw Towing went on to say, "We need to spread awareness to everyone to move over or slow down for emergency stopped vehicles on the highway."
A procession in honor of Bivins will be held Dec. 5 at the south lot of George Weber Chevrolet in Columbia, Illinois. It will end at Main Street on the north end of Dupo. All tow trucks/first responders wanting to be part of this procession need to meet at George Weber at noon.