Hundreds of tow truck drivers, some from as far away as Pennsylvania, gathered in New York Tuesday to pay tribute to own of their own, killed in a hit-and-run on the I-95 last week.
Salvatore Brescia, a 32-year-old driver for Vincent's Service Station, was struck and killed on the I-95 in Yonkers while he was loading a vehicle onto his truck bed just before 7 a.m. last Thursday, police said. The driver fled the scene, and Brescia died at the hospital.
A funeral procession passed the site on the highway Tuesday where he was killed.
"It's heartbreaking. Lots of guys work out here every day. It's a very terrible thing," said Rick Kressman of Mark's Towing.
Co-worker Billy Avery said, "Sal was a very funny guy, down to earth, loved working here."
Brescia had just bought a house in Stamford and was set to get married in July. His colleagues said he was a family guy, excited for the future.
"He was looking forward to spending the rest of his life with his wife," said Avery.
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Mamoreneck Mayor Norman Rosenblum said, "This is a stab in the heart. These are people, whether it be tow truck driver or EMS, police, fire, that go out and help."
The move-over law requires drivers to move over for emergency vehicles, as well as tow trucks, snow plows and other construction vehicles on the side of the road. Brecia's colleagues said many driver ignore the law.
"We are out there helping people and nobody wants to move over," said Anthony Riale of LMR Towing.
"We have families we want to get home to but unfortunately people are worried about getting home to their own families, not worrying about us," he said.
State police are still looking for the driver, and are going through surveillance cameras from the nearby toll plaza.
Anyone with information is asked to call the New York State Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-866-313-TIPS.
