MASON CITY, IA : 5 killed in Mason City crash mourned by family, friends on April, Monday 10th 2017

The tree at the heart of a fiery crash that killed five young North Iowans early Monday morning was transformed into a shrine by nightfall.

Approximately 150 people flocked to a vigil staged Monday night by one of the victim’s family members, placing balloons, candles and signs at the base of the tree stump.

Police say a Jeep Liberty carrying the victims was going east about 2:30 a.m. when it veered off the 400 block of Sixth Street Southwest, hit the tree and then burst into flames.

All five occupants died at the scene.

Police on Monday did not release the names of the victims, but their names were not a secret among Mason City’s high school students and young adults.

At the vigil, someone wrote the names of five people in black permanent marker on the shorn-off branches of the tree.

Rod. Sydney. Donte. Alex. Zach.

Mourners passed around the marker and took turns writing sayings next to the names:

"Rest Easy. Love Nana."

"Mom and Dad love you."

Travis Wiebke, of Mason City, said the “Alex” written on the tree was his son, Alex Wiebke.

He said Alex, 19, had a huge heart, was a big Green Bay Packers fan and was always looking out for other people.

“He was over 7 feet tall and the reason (and), I told my mom, is because, for someone to have a heart that big, you had to have something to hold it,” Wiebke said after Monday’s vigil. “That’s how he is. He always cared about other people other than himself.”

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5 killed in Mason City crash mourned by family, friends