BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. — Friday afternoon, hundreds flocked to Bridgeview, Illinois, to pay their respects, pray, and bury Hussein Farhat.
Farhat, a Milwaukee tow truck driver, was killed Tuesday night while working on Interstate 94. The driver hit him and then drove off.
"Everybody loved Hussein. Hussein was one of the prominent members of our community here and back home. His nickname was 'father of the village,'" cousin Vyad Khalil said.
Farhat's nickname proved true Friday, as the procession from prayer to the cemetery spanned hundreds of cars and tow trucks.
"People came from all over the country. Myself, I came from Philadelphia. People drove here 12, 13 hours. All the tow truck companies from the area, from Milwaukee, drove hours to come support us," Khalil explained.
Khalil said the family could feel the support.
"You would think in a business where people compete with each other, today was a day where we stood together, and we really appreciate that," he continued.
Farhat and several of his family members work for Yaffo Towing, which has locations nationwide. Trucks from across the country traveled to the south side of Chicago Friday to support Farhat and his family. Drivers from the Chicagoland area came, too.
Watch: 'Father of the village': Hundreds gather to celebrate the life of Hussein Farhat
"It's sad. It makes me think of, you know, sad for his life. Nobody wants to hear of anybody losing their life and family coming here trying to make a better life for himself," Mike Nielsen said.
Nielsen’s a truck driver with Mighty’s Towing and Recovery. He and his team made the trip in from Joliet.
"Just to support them, their family, just the awareness. The tow truck communities have been really tight," Nielsen said.
Nielsen and nearly every single driver there put banners on the front of their trucks to keep Farhat's memory alive and remind drivers to slow down.
"Put the phones down and drive. Get back to driving and being aware of what's ahead of us," Nielsen added.
"We ask everybody to be careful. I take it into consideration when I'm driving on the highway. They say to slow down and move over. It makes a big difference. It didn't only affect his life; hundreds and hundreds of people had to stop their lives and come out here and show support. It's the small things we can do to make a difference," Khalil said.
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