As Tuesday's rush hour traffic whizzed by on Highway 99, friends of Matt Fair and Raffi Walker stood in the late afternoon dark, staring into candle flames and remembering.
They had erected the roadside memorial moments earlier to honor 'Mat' and 'Raf,' who were killed early Sunday in a car crash at the highway's intersection with Clark Road in Live Oak.
Walker's mother, stepfather, father and brother looked over the scene, dazed.
"These are the longest days I've ever lived," said Terry Hammonds, Raffi Walker's stepfather.
The two accident victims had been passengers in a Toyota Corolla driven by another of their close friends, Umar Hay, 20.
Hay, according to a California Highway Patrol report, ran a stop sign on Clark Road at about 6 a.m. Sunday, and drove into Highway 99. The car was broadsided by a northbound Ford Explorer.
A railroad grade on Clark Road west of the highway makes the stop sign there — mounted an unusual distance south of the road — visible only at the last moment of approach.
Several of who looked over the scene of the accident Tuesday afternoon, expressed their deep feelings of friendship and their concern for Hay.
Hay had been transported after the accident to Sutter Roseville Medical Center with major injuries, and arrested there for driving under the influence. He was later released.
The driver of the Explorer was taken to Rideout Memorial Hospital with minor injuries and was released.
"We want to tell Umar to hang in there, and to let him know that we're not blaming him," said Steve Lay, 20.
Lay and other friends saw Hay briefly on Monday.
"But we didn't get that point across good enough," Lay said, "We didn't know what to say."
Dustin Menchaca, 20, said he wants to express his condolences to Hay in person, "but we don't know when we're going to see him again," he said.
Damian Walker, Raffi's older brother, had been celebrating his 22nd birthday Sunday in Los Angeles, where he lives, when his phone rang.
"I thought I was getting a birthday call," he said.
Instead, the call brought news of his little brother's and his little brother's friend's death — the worst news he'd received in his own young life.
Damian Walker remembered his brother being extremely close with Matt Fair, who lived in the Walker/Hammond household in Yuba City for a short time. Fair later went to live with his grandmother nearby.
Most of Fair's family members, according to those who know them, have kept to themselves in light of the circumstances.
His father, Richard Fair, said by telephone that he enjoyed dinner with his son on the evening before the accident.
"I think of his shining personality and his sense of humor," Richard Fair said. "I'm going to miss him."
Fair and Walker had a wide circle of friends, many of them classmates from Yuba City High School's Class of 2006.
"Matt was as kindhearted a person as you'd ever want to meet," said Aaron Dressel, 19.
"He was extremely genuine," said Jeremy Roux, 20, of his lost friend.
A memorial will be held for Raffi Walker and Matt Fair at Crossroads Community Church Friday at 11 a.m.
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/highway_71306___article.html/clark_road.html
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when will idiots learn?
how do people still do this shit? really.......?
They had erected the roadside memorial moments earlier to honor 'Mat' and 'Raf,' who were killed early Sunday in a car crash at the highway's intersection with Clark Road in Live Oak.
Walker's mother, stepfather, father and brother looked over the scene, dazed.
"These are the longest days I've ever lived," said Terry Hammonds, Raffi Walker's stepfather.
The two accident victims had been passengers in a Toyota Corolla driven by another of their close friends, Umar Hay, 20.
Hay, according to a California Highway Patrol report, ran a stop sign on Clark Road at about 6 a.m. Sunday, and drove into Highway 99. The car was broadsided by a northbound Ford Explorer.
A railroad grade on Clark Road west of the highway makes the stop sign there — mounted an unusual distance south of the road — visible only at the last moment of approach.
Several of who looked over the scene of the accident Tuesday afternoon, expressed their deep feelings of friendship and their concern for Hay.
Hay had been transported after the accident to Sutter Roseville Medical Center with major injuries, and arrested there for driving under the influence. He was later released.
The driver of the Explorer was taken to Rideout Memorial Hospital with minor injuries and was released.
"We want to tell Umar to hang in there, and to let him know that we're not blaming him," said Steve Lay, 20.
Lay and other friends saw Hay briefly on Monday.
"But we didn't get that point across good enough," Lay said, "We didn't know what to say."
Dustin Menchaca, 20, said he wants to express his condolences to Hay in person, "but we don't know when we're going to see him again," he said.
Damian Walker, Raffi's older brother, had been celebrating his 22nd birthday Sunday in Los Angeles, where he lives, when his phone rang.
"I thought I was getting a birthday call," he said.
Instead, the call brought news of his little brother's and his little brother's friend's death — the worst news he'd received in his own young life.
Damian Walker remembered his brother being extremely close with Matt Fair, who lived in the Walker/Hammond household in Yuba City for a short time. Fair later went to live with his grandmother nearby.
Most of Fair's family members, according to those who know them, have kept to themselves in light of the circumstances.
His father, Richard Fair, said by telephone that he enjoyed dinner with his son on the evening before the accident.
"I think of his shining personality and his sense of humor," Richard Fair said. "I'm going to miss him."
Fair and Walker had a wide circle of friends, many of them classmates from Yuba City High School's Class of 2006.
"Matt was as kindhearted a person as you'd ever want to meet," said Aaron Dressel, 19.
"He was extremely genuine," said Jeremy Roux, 20, of his lost friend.
A memorial will be held for Raffi Walker and Matt Fair at Crossroads Community Church Friday at 11 a.m.
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/highway_71306___article.html/clark_road.html
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
when will idiots learn?
how do people still do this shit? really.......?
