Hundreds Pay Tribute To Dan Coady Jr.

Towmen from around New England gathered in North Andover, Massachusetts, on March 21 to bid farewell to Daniel Coady Jr., who was struck and killed while doing his job on Interstate 495 March 14.

Coady, 41, was a lifelong employee of Coady's Towing in Lawrence.

"The Coady family is well-respected and Danny was very well-liked," said North Andover police Detective Lieutenant Eric J. Foulds, who estimated that more than 500 people--including tow truck drivers, police, and fire personnel--were there to pay their respects to Coady.

Todd Chase of the Statewide Towing Association said approximately 380 trucks were there for the event. "It was overwhelming," he said. "It was a really, really large turnout. It was a great tribute to a very good man."

Coady's casket was draped with a "thin yellow line" flag, a symbol representing the towing industry, and was carried on the back of a flatbed truck.

Shiina Dionne, 28, of Lawrence, was charged with vehicular homicide, drunken driving, speeding, and other offenses in connection with the crash. She is scheduled to appear in Lawrence District Court on April 4 for a pretrial hearing.

Source: bostonglobe.com.