LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Tow trucks and Nevada State Police cruisers drove together in a powerful procession Saturday in honor of Sergeant Michael Abbate and Trooper Alberto Felix, who were killed in a hit-and-run while helping a driver on the I-15 on November 30.
“We’re in shock, but we’re doing alright, we’re a family,” said Nevada Highway Patrol Sgt. Jason Buratczuk. “There’s only 60 troopers in Las Vegas, so we’re very tight-knit here. Everybody knows each other, and we’re all leaning on each other to get through this.”
“NHP, Metro, North Las Vegas, they all stand by us on the side of the roads, so they’re just as much a part of our towing community as anybody else is, so when they are hurting, we are hurting too,” said Quality Towing dispatcher Amanda Douglas.
“We’re grieving after losing two brothers, and the community’s grieving, and it was important for us to give them a place to come to show their support, for them to have a place to grieve,” said Sgt. Buratczuk. “We have troopers out here, and they can come talk to troopers and just talk about Mike and Felix.”
Amid the grief, some shared a message to the community to prevent another tragedy on the road.
“One of my coworkers, one of my best friends, he was a tow truck operator, and he was hit and killed here on Decatur and 215. We need that support from the society,” said Ditsch. “You see any of these vehicles that are out there on the highway with their red and blues, the amber lights at all, or anybody that’s on the side of the road with their emergency flashers on. It is the law to slow down and move over.”
A tribute vehicle is parked outside Nevada Highway Patrol on Sunset Road all weekend if the community wants to pay their respects to the fallen troopers.
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