An East Carondelet tow truck driver and Prairie du Pont volunteer firefighter passed away last Wednesday after he was struck by a truck while assisting a broken down vehicle, leaving family and friends to mourn and reminding motorists just how important it is to slow down on the road.

Emergency personnel responded about 10:15 a.m. Nov. 29 to I-255 southbound on the curve toward St. Louis just past the Columbia exit onto Route 3 after 57-year-old Wade Bivins of Paw Paw Towing in Cahokia was fatally struck by a vehicle in the roadway.

Traffic on I-255 southbound was completely shut down as a result, with Columbia firefighters diverting motorists onto Route 3 into Columbia. I-255 was reopened to traffic shortly after 1 p.m.

Other responding agencies included Columbia police and EMS, the Monroe County Coroner’s Office, Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Transportation. 

ISP said a vehicle was broken down on the right shoulder of the road, and a tow truck was in the process of removing the disabled vehicle. A tow truck operator, identified as Bivins, was loading this vehicle up to the back of his tow truck, walked around the left side of the tow truck and was struck by a vehicle traveling southbound. 

Bivins was pronounced deceased on scene, ISP said, and the driver of the vehicle that struck him remained on scene. 

Monroe County Coroner Bob Hill said preliminary investigation indicates that a Ford pickup traveling in the slow lane of I-255 southbound struck Bivins as he was loading the disabled vehicle onto his tow truck.

Bivins’ funeral took place Tuesday, preceded by a procession of tow trucks from all over the area driving through the Columbia-East Carondelet-Dupo area in his memory.

Speaking on behalf of Bivins’ family was East Carondelet Mayor Herb Simmons, a friend of Bivins’ for over 40 years who also offered the eulogy at his funeral on Tuesday.

Simmons spoke with great admiration and fondness for his friend, emphasizing just how kind and giving Bivins was.

“I think I’ve said it a couple times, every community needs a Wade,” Simmons said. “In all my years that I’ve known him, I’ve never known him to say the word ‘no.’ He was always the first to offer to help. He’d be the first there and the last to leave.”

Simmons recalled the many hats Bivins wore throughout his life, with his work with the fire department starting back in 1984, his time serving in the local emergency disaster agency and his job on the river working on barges.

Further describing Bivins’ service, Simmons suggested he filled more sandbags than anyone else to help protect his community during the Flood of 1993.

On a lighter note, he also touched on Bivins playing Santa for the kids at the annual community Christmas event. Simmons also shared fond memories of Bivins’ energy during annual fish fries.

“One of the big things he helped with every year was our annual fish fries,” Simmons said. “Wade would run our kitchen part as far as getting the orders ready to go. I’d be frying the fish in the back, and I’d call him on the radio we had. I’d say ‘Wade, are we caught up yet?’ And he’d say ‘No Mayor, keep on fishing.’”

While he kept exceptionally busy in the community – Simmons commended Bivins’ family for being very community-oriented in general – Bivins also had a huge interest in deer hunting.

While this was the biggest one of his hobbies Simmons was able to single out, he added that Bivins was passionate about simply giving of himself.

“One of the hobbies that I know he loved doing was helping others,” Simmons said. “That’s why I say every community needs a Wade, because I could call him in the middle of the night, and he’s gonna drop whatever he’s doing to be there. And it wasn’t just me. If there was somebody in town that needed help, he’d be right there.”

Simmons described how he and Bivins became very good friends over 40 years. Simmons himself had a background in towing operations from before Bivins’ time in the profession, and the two would often chat about the old days.

They also, as Simmons said, would chew the fat about the world and each others’ lives. He noted just how much Bivins loved his wife – he described the two as “inseparable” – as well as his daughters and grandchildren.

Simmons also pointed out how difficult it has been for him these last few days trying to summarize a decades-long friendship.

“That’s kind of what I’ve been working on ever since the family asked me to do his eulogy,” Simmons said. “How do you take over a 40-year friendship and condense it down into a 15-20 minute summary of a person’s life, which is impossible to do, of course.”

Another friend of Bivins who spoke quite highly of him was Niki O’Bryan of Paw Paw Towing.

She described just how much energy Bivins poured into his work, 10 hours a day Monday through Thursday – not infrequently staying late or coming in on Fridays as well.

Like Simmons, O’Bryan similarly touched on Bivins’ love for his family as well as his unending kindness and diligence.

“Wade was a great guy,” O’Bryan said. “He was amazing. He never said no. He was a people-pleaser. He was always there to help. He’d get in a difficult situation where there was a ball joint broken on a car, and he wouldn’t call me and say ‘I’m not towing this because it’s too hard.’ He would call me and say ‘This ball joint’s broke. I gotta take the wheel off. I gotta block it. I gotta pull it up on the truck. I’m gonna be here a while, but I’ll get it done.’ He was always going the extra mile for everybody else.”

Simmons offered even more praise for Bivins, though he also made a point about how last Wednesday was, seemingly, a typical day for his friend, who left for his job as cheery as he always was.

He recalled many conversations he had had with Bivins about how short life can be and how, nowadays, life can be very “here today, gone today.”

Simmons said Bivins’ death should be a wake up call for folks to cherish their life and live it to the fullest just like he did.

“I think the legacy that he is leaving is a true testament of what individuals should try and patent themselves after,” Simmons said. “None of us are perfect, of course, but you at least have to try to live that perfect life. Even though we all have our faults, Wade was able to overcome them and say ‘Nope, gonna do better.’”

Simmons added on behalf of Bivins’ family that they are very grateful for the support and care that they have received.

He and O’Bryan also spoke about the manner in which Bivins died, stressing just how important it is for drivers to be aware of those parked on the side of the road.

Simmons remarked that Illinois tow trucks should be allowed to have more striking lights, noting how drivers often think little about seeing amber lights along the road but are sure to slow down at the sight of blue and red.

O’Bryan urged drivers to simply be more aware when they notice a car beside the road as tow truck operators are almost always out of their vehicles while parked.

“Pay attention. Put the phone down and pay attention,” O’Bryan said. “Someone’s life is not worth you getting the phone call or the text message or whatever out before you get to your destination or before you can stop.”