Vigil honors tow truck driver killed in suspected I-94 hit-and-run

WAUKESHA COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- More than 50 tow trucks and over 100 people gathered Wednesday, Dec. 25 near Sawyer Road and I-94 in Summit to honor Hussain Farhat, a Chicago-based tow truck operator who was killed in a suspected Christmas Eve hit-and-run.

The vigil included a display of flashing lights from the trucks as a tribute to Farhat’s memory.

Farhat was reportedly hit by a minivan while loading a vehicle onto his truck on Interstate 94. The van fled the scene, and Farhat later died at a hospital. The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office said a tip led to the suspect, who turned himself in and faces a felony charge of hit-and-run causing death.

Tow operators used the vigil to focus on the importance of slowing down or moving over for roadside workers, including Chris Martinez who said, "That person on the side of the road does have a family that they want to go home to every night."

Farhat’s funeral will take place in Chicago.