Skiatook Community To Host Vigil For Man Killed On New Year's Eve

Community members in Skiatook are organizing a candlelight vigil for a man and his dog who were hit and killed by a car on New Year's Eve.

Skiatook Police confirmed 48-year-old Josh Fredrick and his dog were hit by a car while trying to cross the street on December 31st. Friends of Fredrick say he was only in town for a couple of months but was quickly making Skiatook his home.

Trina Hiatt is organizing the vigil planned for Tuesday evening. She describes Fredrick as a man down on his luck when he first got to Skiatook near the end of last summer.

Hiatt says Fredrick and his dog were hitchhiking from Colorado when they were left in Skiatook. Some in town began to get acquainted with Fredrick after seeing him outside nearby stores.

They decided to help Josh out after getting to know him, going as far as getting him a van and offering places for him to get cleaned up. Hiatt says a person living in Skiatook recently offered Fredrick a place to stay.

Friends say Skiatook was becoming a place he could call home before being hit and killed. He will be remembered for helping bring the town together to help someone in need.

"Everything serves a purpose, and Josh's life served a purpose that's higher than what we know," said Stella Brand, a person who befriended Josh.

Hiatt is raising money to help cover burial expenses for Josh and plans to use the rest of the money to help others in need.

Police say the investigation is underway, but they know who the driver of the car involved in the incident is. The candlelight vigil is scheduled for Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. near the memorial by O'Reilly's Auto Parts.