Families, communities cope with loss of three good men

Three families were struck in the most painful way by the tragedy of a single traffic accident last Wednesday.

We are speaking, of course, of the families of Zachary Nolen, 19, of Newton Falls; Michael Theodore Jr., 19, of Howland, and Joshua Sherbourne, 21, of Southington.

These three young men died when the car in which they were riding was slammed from behind by a tractor-trailer rig west of Warren.

They were in the earliest years of their adult lives, full of promise and hope. Each had made a serious commitment to become part of something bigger than themselves, the Marine Corps. They were on the way to Cleveland to finalize their enlistments when their lives were cut short.

And so, a fourth, even larger, family suffered a loss. U.S. Marine Sgt. Martin Harris explained the Marine presence and the presentation of the flag at Sherbourne’s funeral by saying, “He was making a commitment to our family, and we wanted to ensure that we were represented for his family.”

Newspaper stories and video shot at calling hours and the funerals of these men told striking similar stories. Family members, friends and ministers all talked about young lives well spent. They were portrayed as happy, playful and yet serious about how they wanted to spend their next few years in service to their country. They were well-liked, and with good reason.

The next chapter

By yesterday afternoon, all three had been laid to rest. The pain felt by their families was tempered by the outpouring of support from friends, the Marine Corps and the communities in which they lived. The circle of friends, church members and communities will have to continue to give these families support in the months and years ahead as a loss that can never be forgotten becomes, at least, bearable.

Meanwhile, authorities continue to investigate the nature of the crash, paying special attention to the lack of evidence that the truck even attempted to brake before smashing into cars stopped for a red light. Was the driver distracted and, if so, by what? The answer to that question will help determine whether this was an accident or a recklessly homicidal act. And the prosecutor’s office and the courts will act accordingly.

But no matter what the investigation shows and what the legal consequences may be for the driver, it remains that the Nolen, Theodore and Sherbourne families, the Marines and all of us who have been touched by this story have suffered a loss the depth of which can never be fully known.