A local police officer who lost his life in a crash was honored Tuesday night.

“He’s going to be greatly missed,” Eddie Walsh, a DuBois City Councilman, said. “You don’t replace someone like Pat Straub. You can’t do it.”

Officer Straub spent five years with the DuBois Police Department.

He protected residents each and every day. Now, it’s the community’s turn to show their support.

“It just brings tears to your eyes,” Debbie Shannon, who has a son that worked with Officer Straub, told us. “He was such a young, young person with so much to live for.”

Officer Straub made his “final patrol” from Punxsutawney to St. Marys. Along the way you could see people lining the streets and officers saluting as he drove by one last time.

“I can’t even imagine what it feels like for those officers to get the news that they lost one of their own,” Melanie Cole, who also has a son who worked with Officer Straub, said. “Someone they can trust with their life and someone they knew had their backs.”

The procession showed Officer Straub will be deeply missed, but never forgotten.

“We tie everything together in the community,” Walsh said. “We’re all one brotherhood.”

Officer Straub passed away after his car was hit by another on Route 219 in Washington Township, Jefferson County.

The driver of the jeep, Corey Williams, was also killed.

Officer Straub’s wife and 3-year-old daughter were also in the car and taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

His viewing will be held on Thursday from 5p.m. – 8p.m. at Lynch-Redkowski Funeral Home in St. Marys. His funeral will be held Friday afternoon. He’ll be buried in Kersey at the Saint Boniface Cemetery.