Memorial Wreath

When Connor, Eric, and I went out to Colorado last September after Ryan died, one of the Colorado Highway Patrol employees, Betzy, told us that the people who work on E 470 (the road that Ryan was on) would put a memorial wreath up in honor of Ryan.  Connor and I knew we would be going out to Colorado again in the spring, so they offered to put the wreath up while we were there.

Betzy was so kind and coordinated with me the time that we could go to put the wreath up.  I don't think they normally do those things on Saturday mornings, but they did for us.

So this morning we met some people from E 470, and they drove us out to the site where the wreath had already been placed.  Connor and I were there, obviously.  My mom flew out from VA, Ryan's friend Michelle (who he was with the night before he died - and who had graciously let us stay at her house that week) and her roommate were there, as well as Julie and Jay, some friends of Ryan's who live in the area.

We arrived at the site a little after 8 am.  They had placed the wreath at the spot where Ryan was when they found him.  Then they moved it to where it would stay permanently.  The wreath will stay there for a year from today.

The wreath at the place where Ryan was laying.  Do you see that orange mark on the ground?  They marked in the grass where his body was lying.  They marked the bottom of his feet and the top of his head.  I think that orange was from the original marking.  Maybe, maybe not.

This Trooper was on the scene the morning that Ryan died.  You can see in the background some indents in the hill.  That's where Ryan's truck ended up.  So you can see where his body was, compared with where his truck ended up.

This is most of us at the site.  And my belly.

This is the final location of the wreath.  

They moved it in front of a highway sign, and on the other side of a guard rail so that it won't get covered in snow and be a little more protected.

These next 2 photos are kind of interesting.  The first was taken last September.  You can clearly see the indent in the grass from the truck (some of the wheels had come off in the accident).  Then in the second picture, you can see that it's still there.  I thought that was kind of fitting.  The earth is still healing, just as we are.

September

March

We are really appreciative to Betzy, and everyone at E 470 who helped organize this.  It was really nice of them to do this for us.