DUPO, Ill. — Hundreds of people gathered to honor the life of a tow truck driver, who was killed while doing his job on a Metro East interstate.
Tuesday morning, Paw Paw Towing LLC spent the day wrapping their tow truck in black ribbon, all for Wade Bivins.
Nicole O'Bryan, who manages the tow company, said 57-year-old Wade had been with the company since April.
"I sent him after a call for a broken-down van. This was our third time towing this vehicle recently," O'Bryan said.
Wade was also a volunteer firefighter with the Prairie Du Pont Fire Department.
On the morning of Nov. 29, O'Bryan received a call that Wade had been struck and killed by a driver on Interstate 255 at mile marker 6, near Dupo, Illinois.
According to Illinois State Police, the driver has not been charged, but the investigation remains active and open.
"I saw Wade every day. I talked to him multiple times every day," O'Bryan said.
O'Bryan said she knew she needed to do something to call attention to an ongoing problem.
She organized nearly 60 tow truck companies from Illinois and Missouri for a procession following Wade's memorial services. O'Bryan said she talked to a tow company as far as Georgia that paid their respects.
"Most of them are local. Some of them are a little further out. I've talked to companies in Festus, Missouri, all the way out to New Baden, Illinois. And then up to Florissant, Missouri," O'Bryan added.
Quality Towing from Columbia, Illinois, will have five of their tow trucks in the procession.
Nick Meyer said the company was the one who assisted in towing operations after the crash that killed Wade.
"I mean, what happened was inexcusable, to be honest with you," Meyer said.
Bernard Gantt, the owner of Rapid Response Towing in St. Louis, also visited to pay his respects. Gantt said he's worked with Paw Paw Towing for the last three years and helped out with any assistance they needed.
"He's the one I call, I'm there when he calls," Gantt said.
Gantt said every day tow operators worry about making it home.