Roadside memorials become touchy issue because they're illegal

The memorials can become safety risks or unsightly if not maintained.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Roadside shrines put up to memorialize victims of fatal car accidents put highway officials in a tough situation -- remove the markers, which are illegal, or step back and let people mourn.
Makeshift monuments made up of crosses, teddy bears and flowers are a common sight on major roads. Some who have lost loved ones find the markers to be therapeutic, a public way to remember. They also can serve as a valuable warning to passers-by about the dangers of driving, supporters say.
But they are also illegal, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. Roadside shrines obstruct the highway's right of way, said spokeswoman Lindsay Mendicino. Highway workers have the right to remove them at any time.
That doesn't mean they do.
"We're not out there making a big deal about them," Mendicino said. "We're not monsters."
Workers usually leave memorials alone until they get too unsightly, said Jim Mihelich, ODOT district manager for Cuyahoga County. There's no set policy or time for when they get removed, but eventually the mementos get old and become debris that needs to be cleared.
Families often avoid that fate by maintaining the shrines and replacing old items.
Closure
Todd McCallum, assistant professor of psychology at Case Western Reserve University, said people in mourning can find closure in seeing the place where their loved one died. Some feel their memorials carry a message.
"They serve as a warning to other drivers, saying that they lost a family member here, so be careful," McCallum said.
Thomas Crellin cherishes the shrine his son built for his daughter, Amanda, who died two years ago when her car collided with a tractor-trailer on Interstate 90 in Westlake.
"Sometimes, when I drive past, I'll give it a thumbs-up, just an acknowledgment that Amanda was there," Crellin said. "It's sad, but I look for the memorial every day."
Melissa Schroeter of Brecksville is grateful that friends and relatives have created a roadside memorial for her son, Robert, who died last year at age 20 when his SUV swerved into another car along I-480 in Garfield Heights.
A roadside marker has been kept for state Trooper James Gross since he was shot and killed by a motorist on I-71 near Lodi in 1996. A retired patrol sergeant mows the area and maintains the monument.
Downside
But the safety risks created by these memorials can't be ignored, either. Police are concerned about people pulling onto the shoulder of the road to get to the shrines, said Lt. Rick Zwayer of the State Highway Patrol.
"We understand the desire for people to memorialize the place where a loved one was killed, and there is an argument that these memorials raise public awareness, but the last thing we want is for an accident to occur when someone stops," he said.