I have seen these road side memorials placed out at the site where someone lost their life over the years and I admit, they didn't really affect me much. I didn't know the people who died or who left behind their sorrow in form of a cross and some flowers etc... I didn't have a connection. Last year we were working on a story about dangerous roads and I remembered this memorial on I-79. I remembered it because it was placed there after a tractor trailer accident where the driver died occurred and I was called out to photograph the accident. A couple things happened to me when I went out to make this picture--one I saw several tractor trailer trucks go by and I made this one picture above with a tractor trailer and it sorta choked me up. After having this somber experience I decided to spend a little time at the site and take it in. I walk around the area and remembered the night I was there making pictures of the tragedy. I then walked around the cross and saw that there was a toy tractor trailer truck on the cross. This really got to me. I began thinking about the family who had their loved one simply going off to work doing what he has done probably for years and thinking nothing of it. I then thought about my brother who is truck driver and suddenly these road side memorials seemed to mean something even to me. We can easily be one of these memorials. My dad told me when I was learning to drive that driving is the same as holding a loaded gun. Its safe if you know what you're doing and are careful--my dad is a wise man. I trust my brother like I trust no one else so I trust that he will be safe on the road, but it does take you back a little looking at these crosses and memorials when you you know the story behind them. Meadville Tribune photograph from this past Spring by Richard Sayer. I took a couple pictures today I really wanted to post, but left work forgetting to do so...those will be file pics for another time now!