Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 17, 1994 TAG: 9406220099
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Melissa DeVaughn
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Now, complete strangers drive by to see the cross left in Taylor's memory near the Ironto rest stop on Interstate 81.
But the memorial for the 18-year-old Elliston youth, killed in March when his truck flipped into the median, cannot remain there forever.
It's against the law, said the Virginia Department of Transportation's community affairs coordinator, Laura Bullock.
"That area of land, adjacent to the roads, is owned by the state," she said. "Doing things there is illegal, and more importantly, signs can potentially be a traffic hazard."
VDOT is not out to be insensitive, Bullock said, "but signs could block vision, and our No.1 priority is to safeguard the drivers."
When the cross first went up, VDOT maintenance workers took it down when they mowed the median. But Garlick said the folks at VDOT were understanding when they heard about Taylor and agreed that another cross could stay in the median until graduation or the next mowing, whichever came first. Garlick plans to remove the cross Saturday and place it in a nearby cemetery.
Crosses often pop up along secondary roads, reminders of loved ones lost. Bullock said those crosses often are placed on private property, away from the right of way, so there are no laws against them.
As for crosses or other signs on the interstate, there is no written policy on how to deal with removing them.
"Crosses on the interstate are not something that comes up very often," said Assistant Resident Engineer David Clarke, who allowed the cross to stay up a little longer. "I've never run into it before, and it hasn't been a special problem. We're just trying to be a little sensitive to the situation."
by CNB