Otis

Anecdotally it seems like when there are multiple vehicles in accidents that lead to my taking photos that a) at least some of the people involved survive and b) the drivers involved are from completely different parts of the the state, if not the country.

Not this time.

This time everyone involved died and they were all from Otis, Oregon. I honestly had to look up Otis, and it turns out it’s actually not far from where Matthew Phillips, Christopher Padilla, and Claude Segerson all died when Phillips’ car crossed the center line and ran into Segerson’s dump truck.

Phillips and Padilla were in their early thirties; Segerson was sixty nine.

The descansos are all together, which is fitting I suppose, and all reasonably well cared for. All three have U.S. flags attached to the top of them, although it looks like they have been there awhile since all three are a little threadbare at the edge.

You can’t miss these memorials as you drive North on Highway 101 from Depot Bay towards Lincoln City. They sit just off the road in a field, with plenty of parking nearby for those wanting to pay their respects … or weirdos who want to take photos.

Phillips’ descanso has one of those bears I hate to see because I know that either a child has died or a parent has died and left a child behind. In this case I have no doubt that there is a young boy or girl who has to deal with what is, likely and ultimately, shit luck.

I hate seeing these bears, but they are beautiful in their sadness.

Of course I left my tripod home again because this was the perfect spot to shoot using a slower shutter speed as cars sped by. The traffic was non-stop on this Saturday afternoon.

Rest in peace, Matthew, Christopher, and Claude.