Scott Stack

Sierra Highway, Santa Clarita, California

Sierra Hwy, Acton California

Elizabeth

Murdered

Two people where killed on this site when a guy was arguing with his girlfriend and decided to swerve into oncoming traffic. The head-on collision killed a man in going home from work to his family, and the guys girlfriend. The boyfriend survived, ran away, and was later found by police.

Into the Darkness

Auto Center - The End

This memorial is at a corner near the Palmdale Auto Center.

Always cared for.

Sierra Highway. This area was recently burned and as you can see the tree where this memorial is wasn't spared. However, someone came back and took care of their work.

Solidad Cyn and the 14 FWY, Santa Clarita, CA

Accident

Years ago I saw a makeshift memorial on a sidewalk where someone had been killed in an auto accident. I thought it was really stupid in a pathetic way that someone had memorialized a corner of concrete. There where flowers and candles with melted wax that left hard little pools of color. They had left notes of sorrow that said things like "You'll be missed." I wondered if it was some sort of Catholic thing, with all those candles. But, mostly I thought it was just a big mess.
As years went by I began to notice an increase in these types of memorials. They were usually along the side of a road marked by a wooden cross. The largest one I saw was in Glendale after a mother and her children were killed by a drunk driver. Still, as the sight seemed to become more common, my cynicism remained. Then one day I saw an accident that made me think and softened my heart a little.
I was on my way home one hot summer day on Sierra Highway in Canyon Country, California. Just around a bend where there is a little league field I saw a cloud of dirt suddenly rise. I thought somebody must have pulled over ahead. As I rounded the corner the two cars in front of me and I had to stop because there was an accident. On the right shoulder there was a small red car facing the road with it's rear bumper up against a telephone pole. The windshield must have been broken because it looked frosted. On the road in front of the car was a mid sized pick-up truck facing the car.
It seemed people appeared from nowhere, although cars were stopped all around. I saw some guy run up to the car and look down through the open sun roof. He jumped back and shuck his head as if to say that they were dead. I saw other people on there phones, so I knew help would be on its way. I decided to drive on so that I wouldn't be in the way of people who knew what they are doing.
As I drove around the accident I saw and older man on the pavement next to the truck. The driver door was open and he was writhing back in forth on his back as if he were in great pain. I thought it must hurt to be on that asphalt since it was over 100 degrees. About ten feet way, there were a couple of people just standing there looking down on him. I considered stopping, but I knew I'd be just like those others, standing around not knowing what to do. I also didn't think that anybody could really be seriously hurt since the vehicles didn't look to bad.
The next week I drove past that spot and saw a memorial. That was the first time that it really hit home with me that somebody was going somewhere and BAM. It was all over. Who ever was waiting for them must have been worried. Then the news of the accident came. They were probably stunned, shocked and filled with fear. I don't know what I would do if it was me.
Each time I drove by that spot I wondered who it was and what had happened. The memorial was on someones property and weeds had grown all around after some time. But somebody kept putting flowers and card there for the next year. Then one day the memorial and all the weeds where cleared away. I thought it was very sad, but maybe whoever lived on that property was tired of it. However, the memorial returned and was set up even better.
There where two crosses names, flowers and notes. I finally decided to stop, read and get a good look at the memorial. I had been a young twenty year old man and an eighteen year old girl. It was the young mans sister who was keeping up the memorial. What a waste to be cut short of life so young.
After that, I believe it's a good idea to keep up these memorial. Not only for the loved ones left behind, but as a reminder that road can be deadly. It could be my wife, or any ones family or friends that get the shocking news of an accident. The sight of these memorials now keeps me more aware of the dangers while driving.