July 2 2015 Rudy Valle, Westbrook Maine, Star of Stage, Screen, Radio and Musician

Combined a visit to Mr Valle's site, as well as a visit to his house in Westbrook today 

June 2015- What you see in South Dakota

In South Dakota, you don't have any real shrines-  Just a state sponsored sign-  here is what the state website says about them:

South Dakota Department of Transportation Guidelines for Roadside Memorials (THINK signs)

Loss of life from a motor vehicle crash leaves a lasting and devastating impact on families and friends of the victim. The South Dakota Department of Public Safety recognizes this, and in partnership with the Department of Transportation, established the "THINK" sign program in 1979. This program is to provide a memorial to the victim and to also remind motorists of dangerous behaviors such as driving under the influence, not wearing seat belts, speeding, and distracted driving.
One sign is erected on the state highway for each person killed in the crash, with each sign mounted on a separate post near the edge of the right of way.
Upon official notification of a fatal crash on a County, City, or Township road, the Department of Public Safety- Accident Records will notify the Department of Transportation to furnish a sign to all participating local governments (Some local governments have requested not to participate in the "Think Sign" program) to be placed on the County, City and Township road.
These signs remain in place until:

• An immediate family member of the crash victim objects to the sign, at which time the sign will be expeditiously removed
• The sign is no longer in a satisfactory condition because of damage or deterioration
• The section of roadway is reconstructed to new standards, at which time all "Think" signs on that segment of roadway are removed

Once removed, these signs are not replaced unless a request is made from an immediate family member of the crash victim to do so. This also applies to signs that may have been removed by others.
The Department of Transportation recognizes that some people grieve by placing a roadside memorial within the highway right of way near the crash site. While the department acknowledges this, the placement of memorials within the highway right of way is not allowed as these roadside memorials may themselves be a safety hazard. The department will immediately remove a roadside memorial if:

• It poses a safety concern, for example:
• If it interferes with roadway safety features or obstructs the view of motorists
• If it impacts the flow of traffic
• If it would be a hazard if hit by a vehicle
• If it is a distraction to motorists
• It interferes with routine highway maintenance
• It falls into disrepair
• The Department of Transportation receives a complaint

Individuals should understand that any roadside memorial placed on the highway right of way is temporary and should not expect that it remain in place indefinitely. The department typically does not know who placed the memorial, and individuals should also understand that the department is not responsible for any items placed at the memorial. When a memorial is removed by the department, the items from the memorial are kept for a period of two weeks to allow time for the owners to retrieve them by contacting the local Department of Transportation Area Office. If items are not claimed within two weeks, they are disposed of.
No one wants to see a tragedy such as a subsequent crash at the site of a roadside memorial. This is the reason that regulations specify that only items that perform a specific highway function be allowed within the highway right of way. Individuals should consider that mourners who stop to maintain a roadside memorial not only place themselves in danger, but they also put other motorists at risk.

March 28th Unidentified Shrine near Fairbanks, Florida

No specific markings on this one, on Florida Highway 24   

A major incident near Bronson Florida

Came across this one, in which a total of 7 were killed, most of them students who were riding in a handicapped bus.  The driver of the flat bed truck was charged with several counts of vehicular homicide.

BRONSON — The driver of a truck that struck a school bus carrying handicapped children in August was charged Tuesday with causing the deaths of the bus driver and five students by speeding through a stop sign.

Scott Lou Allen, 26, of Bushnell, was arrested at his Sumter County home and charged with six felony counts of vehicular homicide in connection with the Aug. 28 accident, said Levy County State Attorney Gene Whitworth Sr.

Allen was taken to the Sumter County Jail, where he was expected to be held overnight. Bail was set at $20,000 by Levy Circuit Judge Elzie Sanders, said Sumter County sheriff's Capt. Jim Fussell.

The charges were filed Tuesday after a two-month Florida Highway Patrol investigation. In a 104-page report to the state attorney's office, investigators say Allen was driving between 40 mph and 45 mph in a 35 mph zone and that he failed to reduce his speed at a stop sign, Whitworth said.

''The facts we relied on in this case indicate that Mr. Allen had the capability of seeing that stop sign four-tenths of a mile before he came to it,'' Whitworth said. ''There was no decrease of his speed as he entered the intersection and no braking or attempted braking until after the accident.''

The stop sign was posted at the intersection of County Roads 337 and 32 in this North Florida town 25 miles southwest of Gainesville. Many of Bronson's 700 residents are constantly reminded of the tragedy when they pass through the intersection.

''I go by there every day,'' said Paul Johnson, assistant superintendent of the Levy County School District. ''The residents have put commemorative crosses up, six of them, one for each person who was killed, and there are flowers permanently placed by the side of the road.''

Several of the mentally and physically handicapped students, ages 4 to 18, who were injured in the accident have not returned to Bronson Elementary School and Williston Middle School.

On the afternoon of Aug. 28, bus driver Edith Mae Asbell, 59, of Chiefland, was driving 19 students home from the two schools when the 47-seat bus was struck broadside by a flatbed truck driven by Allen, said Florida Highway Patrol Trooper John Touchton, who investigated the accident with Trooper Ted Glass.

The accident left Asbell and five students dead and 17 people injured, including Allen.

Allen's first court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. today in Sumter County. He will be transferred to Levy County if he does not post bond.

CHIEFLAND — Dozens of school bus drivers from Levy and surrounding counties turned out for driver Edith Asbell's funeral Sunday, with some predicting that few students would ride buses today after a terrifying crash Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Levy County school officials were huddling with crisis workers in preparation for this morning's classes, the first since Asbell and five handicapped children were killed when a flatbed truck ran a stop sign and hit the bus broadside.

Another 16 mentally handicapped youngsters from Williston Middle and Bronson Elementary schools were injured, along with Tampa truck driver Scott Allen, 25, in good condition with a broken leg at Alachua General Hospital.

Crisis workers told school principals that some students and teachers may need help dealing with the tragedy.

''The expectation is that a lot of kids will be brought to school tomorrow; they won't ride the buses,'' said Connie Hartsock of the Alachua County Crisis Center.

Earlier Sunday afternoon, a stream of people drove to the intersection of county roads 32 and 337, where the crash occurred. There, on a utility pole at the northwest corner of the intersection, were a dozen posters made of colored construction paper.

They bore messages like ''God bless'' and ''Love one another'' and ''God loves.''

JoAnn Tisdale, 54, said her Sunday school class of 7-year-olds at First Baptist Church of Bronson wanted to make the posters as a memorial.

Although none of the dead children were in the Sunday school class, Tisdale said ''that's all they could talk about this morning, the children and their parents.

''They didn't seem interested in learning their lesson. One of the little girls asked if we could have a special prayer for them.''

Kay Berezansky, 63, of Bronson, brought a purple potted flower to the crash site, placing it on a dirt bank beside a bouquet and a bunch of yellow flowers.

Later in the day, six American flags were planted along the side of the road where the wreckage came to rest. The bank where the bodies of the dead children were placed still was strewn with broken glass, its grass withered and scarred.

''Those little children used to wave at me,'' Berezansky said, recalling her days as a crossing guard at Bronson Elementary School.

At the Hardeetown Baptist Church in Chiefland, hundreds of people packed into the sanctuary for Asbell's funeral.

The Rev. Walter Cooley told family and friends that God had an appointment with Asbell, and that day was Friday.

''None of this that happened was a surprise to the Lord,'' he said.

Asbell, buried at Chiefland Cemetary, was described by family and fellow bus drivers as a cautious driver who loved the mentally and physically disabled children who rode her bus twice a day.

March 27th Near High Springs, Florida

Jasen T. Hendrickson, 26, of High Springs, died Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident in High Springs. He was a native of Colon, Mich., and a graduate of the Colon High School Class of 2004.

Mr. Hendrickson was a cabinetmaker at Hunter Marine in Alachua, an avid fisherman and a University of Michigan fan. He loved his family, Michigan sports and working with children.

He is survived by his parents, Dennis and Christine Seguin Hendrickson, High Springs; maternal grandparents, Homer and Katherine Seguin, Ellenburg Depot, N.Y.; one sister, Tricia (Greg) Kurzawski; a niece, Brooke Kurzawski; a nephew, Samuel Kurzawski, all of Lake City; one brother, Joshua (Chelsea) Hendrickson of Marquette, Mich., and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

Memorial services will be conducted at a later date in Colon, Mich. Arrangements are under the direction of Evans-Carter Funeral Home, High Springs.

Two men were hospitalized with injuries Wednesday evening following a crash in High Springs that required extensive extrication to free them, authorities reported.
Flown by helicopter to Shands at the University of Florida was Jasen Hendrickson, 26. Taken by ambulance was Kenneth Timms, 56, said High Springs Police Chief Steve Holley.
The accident occurred about 6:33 p.m at 16325 NW State Road 45.
Holley said one of the men was driving north and the other south when they collided at an angle. Holley said the crash investigation is still under way and added that details were not available.

The High Springs Fire Department said in a news release that it had to use extensive extrication to get the men out of their cars.

March 16 2015- A 4 person shrine on Highway 301

I actually passed this one twice before I was able to stop and take a photo of it.

Rare that I see this many at one shrine-  There were actually six folks killed in this two car wreck, one of them being an unborn child of one of the victims.  For some reason, there are only 4 markers.  Lamb and Durgan are missing from the display.  

The victims
Danny S. Lamb Jr., 33, of Plant City was a married father of three young children and an avid outdoorsman.
Ashley Blagburn, 19, of Zephyrhills was five months pregnant and thrilled with her future.
Richard Forbes, 19, of Plant City canceled a weekend's hunting expedition to Georgia with friends.
Jennifer Sawyer, 19, was born and raised in Hillsborough County. She was saving up for a car.
Garth Durgan, 33, of Plant City had been living with a girlfriend and an aunt.

January 25th Hilltop Road, St Augustine Florida- Hit and Run vs Bicyclist

This tragic accident involved a 26 year old cyclist on his way either to or from work on a street near our home.  I believe they ultimately did find the motorist who was responsible.

 Accident Date: 

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Bicyclist killed in St. Augustine Hit-And-Run Crash (link is external)

Detectives in the Major Crimes Unit along with the Traffic Section are investigating the incident. A deadly hit-and-run traffic accident occurred involving a bicyclist near Hilltop Road and Kings Estate Road in St. Augustine. The victim has been identified as Madison Jacob Meyer, 26 of St. Augustine, Florida. Law enforcement and emergency personnel responded to the area Sunday morning and found Meyer lying on the side of the road deceased. Law enforcement found a bicycle nearby which appeared to be struck by a vehicle. It appears that Meyer was traveling south on Hilltop Road when a vehicle struck him from behind. Detectives believe the incident possibly happened sometime early Sunday morning. The search is on for the hit-and-run driver and any potential witnesses.

Type: Bicycle Accident Hit and Run People Involved: Madison Jacob Meyer Roadway: Hilltop Road and Kings Estate Road City: Saint Augustine, FL