The best friend of a woman killed after being struck by a hit-and-run driver said she is not necessarily opposed to regulating roadside memorials, but believes there are plenty of other issues on which local government should focus.
A subcommittee of the Derby Board of Aldermen is scheduled to meet Tuesday to talk about whether the city should draft a law that would regulate roadside memorials.
The city may attempt to put a limit on how long the memorials are up or try to give them a uniform appearance, Ken Hughes, president of the Board of Aldermen, told the Valley Independent Sentinel last week.
There is some concern among city officials that memorials, such as those placed on sidewalks, become littered with broken glass and other items if not eventually removed.
One of the better known roadside memorials in the city is on Derby Avenue, close to the Catholic War Veterans building.
The faded memorial is attached to a utility pole with wooden crosses and a metallic vine.
It marks the place where 31-year-old Derby resident Claudia Woodford was struck by a car while crossing the street. Woodford was carrying a child in her arms. She turned her body to absorb the impact and protect the child.
Kellie Steeves, owner of the Body Shoppe and the Oxford Hair Academy, was Woodford’s close friend.
Steeves said she contributed items to the Derby Avenue memorial shortly after the 2002 tragedy. It’s unclear who, if anyone, maintains the memorial currently.
Woodford’s husband and children moved away from Derby Avenue several years ago.
“These memorials are usually for young people. Most of the memorials tend to be for young people lost in accidents. My feeling is that if that is what the family and friends need, it’s not causing any harm,” Steeves said.
If a roadside memorial is causing a group of people to gather at a dangerous spot, such as along the shoulder of a highway, Steeves pointed out police already have the authority to ask people to move.
“I don’t see why it is a big concern for politicians,” Steeves said.
When told that politicians were worried about broken glass from candles, Steeves questioned whether a law is necessary.
“There’s glass on Silver Sands Beach, which I’ve stepped on. It’s just such a minute issue,” she said.
Personally I think there should be a time limit on how long they should be there. If someone died years ago, why in the world would there need to be a memorial still, on the spot where they died?
Most times the only people who know who the memorial is for, are their friends/family. With the unfortunate dead of Claudia Woodford, it was news and a lot of people knew who it was for. But now, years later, it’s out of our memories
I would personally take down a memorial for one of my loved ones after a month if, God forbid, they were killed somewhere. Any longer than that and it’s just a sad sign that someone drove here recklessly and killed someone.