Future groom dies in wrong-way driver accident in NYC one day before wedding

A groom-to-be in New York died the day before his wedding when the wrong-way driver of a pickup truck crashed into his vehicle, killing him and his cousin.

Kirk Walker, 38, was driving a Dodge Challenger with his cousin, 40-year-old Robert McLaurin, in the northbound lanes of the Henry Hudson Parkway near West 165th Street on Saturday, Aug. 24, when at 2:21 a.m. the driver of a pickup truck collided head-on with their vehicle, the New York Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE.

Walker and McLaurin were killed in the crash. The crash involved an Audi S3 driven by a 27-year-old man and a 28-year-old passenger, the NYPD told PEOPLE. Both were taken to the hospital in stable condition.

The driver of the pickup truck and his 22-year-old passenger exited the vehicle before it burst into flames as a result of the crash. Police stopped the passenger, and the driver is still at large, the NYPD told PEOPLE.

According to KABC-TV, Walker, a father of three, was scheduled to marry his fiancée Shauntea Weaver in a ceremony on Sunday, August 25.

On what was supposed to be her wedding day, she and her loved ones gathered for a vigil in Bergenfield, New Jersey. “I feel like I'm watching a fictional TV show. Doesn't feel real,” Weaver told the outlet.

“I can't believe I have to walk home alone on my wedding day because a reckless driver killed my husband and his cousin. I should be with my husband. I shouldn't be here alone,” she added.

According to WCBS-TV, Walker's mother, Susan, wore her “Mother of the Groom” T-shirt at the vigil.

“We were supposed to wear this today… But they took my baby away from me. He wanted this wedding so much. And they took my nephew away from me too,” she said.

Walker's father, Kirk Sr., had a message for the wrong-way driver, telling the outlet, “I want them to see my face. I just want them to know it's not over. It's not over.”

McLaurin was also looking forward to Walker's wedding anniversary for a special reason – he wanted to introduce Walker to his new girlfriend.

“This is the first time in a long time that I have seen my son relaxed and happy. [McLaurin] was excited to show it to his cousin,” said his mother The New York Daily News. “He had talked about it. He was ready to show her off, and that's why they were out that night celebrating.”

She described their close relationship, adding that they were “like brothers.”

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“They grew up together and talked every day. They were really close,” she told the outlet.