OSWEGO TOWN, NY – The sun gave one of its seemingly rare appearances in Oswego County on Saturday afternoon as friends and family gathered on Engles Road to say goodbye to the four men who lost their lives in a car crash late Monday night.
Joseph McCarthy, Joshua Schute, Efrain Rodriguez, and James Stone were traveling at a high rate of speed when their car went off the road, crashed through the trees, and flipped upside down, according to police.
Since the car was cleared out on Tuesday afternoon the site has become a memorial. People have left flowers, gifts and messages for the loved ones they lost.
At 3:30 p.m. Saturday a small crowd had already gathered on Engles Road.
It continued to grow all afternoon.
A steady stream of people walked down the hills on either side of the crash site until the road was packed.
Many mourners wore T-shirts commemorating the young men who lost their lives.
“1 Helluva Father” read the shirt for Schute along with a picture of him with his children.
The shirt honoring Rodriguez read “Fly High My Angel.”
“Family you love no matter what, all the time” one onlooker said.
The crowd was a mix of laughter and tears as people fondly shared memories and mourned the tragic accident.
Friday, a cross was hung high on the tree the car landed near so the memorial can be seen from the road.
Candles were handed out amongst the crowd for the vigil, and one man volunteered to read a passage from the Bible.
Some relatives climbed down the embankment to send four candles down the creek.
“I don’t know what to say,” McCarthy’s cousin said as she and her friends took in the crowd.
But she smiled when thinking of her favorite memory of her cousin. “When you’re depressed he’d help you. He’d be there to tell you to cheer up and help you. He was just a happy guy,” she said.
Only in Oswego County.. Yup, build a shrine to honor and remember those who were hazards on the road, were breaking the law, driving recklessly, but luckily didn’t kill some innocent people driving sensibly or maybe walking along the road.
Sad for the families, but obviously these guys didn’t care about their own lives, let alone anyone else. Just glad some innocent family didn’t get wiped out due to the antics of this reckless driver.
well let me tell u something one of those boys where my nephew and the other boys were my heart and the where just havein fun they are kids and also they didnt kill no one eles and i would like u not say anything about those boys and for the driver he was like a nephew to me so u can stop talkin about him to because he will find u and haunt u so on that we dont need ur opioin thank u
Listen idk who you think you are but you obviously don’t know anything so you need to keep your mouth shut! I’m sure you have driven at a high rate of speed a few times in your life! These boys were good boys and loved there family’s so you have no business saying anything at all! Shut your mouth! Why can’t you put your real name up there so everyone know who you are? No you would rather talk (crap) without giving a name! Why’s that? They were young kids having fun. Yup they might of took it to far but who doesn’t now a days! Dumb people like you are wat keep (stuff) going! Just mind your own business! Stay outta (stuff) that has obviously nothing to do with you.
DONT WORRY I AGREE..THESE BOYS WERE RECKLESS AND PAID A HEFTY PRICE AND THANK GOD THAT THOSE WHO CHOSE TO DO SO ONLY TOOK THEIR LIFES AND NOT SOMEONE ELSES THAT WERE JUST DRIVING ALONG!JUST BECAUSE YOU KNEW THESE GUYS DOESNT MAKE IT RIGHT AND TRUST WHEN I SAY YOUR JUST AS IGNORANT THINKING THAT IF PEOPLE DONT AGREE WITH YOU THEN THEY DONT HAVE A RIGHT TO POST THEIR OPINIONS. O AND THE J in my name is Jessica
I agree with b careful and Jessica.. They paid the price for their stupidity. They leave their families behind to morn, and I am very sorry for their loss.
Its a very sad day when outsiders can get on the interent and talk so badly about 4 boys they didnt know. They were kids being kids. STOP talking bad about them they are dead. They paid with their lives ok. Didnt your parents teach you anything? If you didnt know these young men or their families, it would be best if you said nothing at all. RIP boys
Yes they did pay with their lives..the point is they were reckless. And that is whats being said.if you take this as talking bad then your naive.I am sure if their would have been innocent lives taken other than theirs maybe being a family member of yours walking or driving down that road and were ran off the road and killed you would sing a different tune.these wernt “Kids” half of them were fathers to children that will now grow up fatherless.its sad but true.I truly do feel bad for the families and children involved. Let this be a lesson for Kids
I was willing to leave well-enough alone, but some of you fail to get the point, and appear to have little logic. I wasn’t going to comment again but…
First off, I’m not an “outsider” as someone put it, unless you people own that particular road, and it’s off limits to the public? I am a sensible driver and abide by the rules of the road. I have the right and privilege to use that Public road just like any licensed driver does, and I should not have to worry about some so-called “kids” killing my family just because they feel like having some “fun” with a motor vehicle.
No person driving or using ANY Public road or highway should have to cope with the dangers of ANY reckless driver, no matter what the reckless driver’s age may be. Like someone else said, these were not just “kids being kids” (which is the dumbest defense I have ever heard), they were adults playing a ridiculous form of Russian roulette, and they lost.. Fortunately, no unsuspecting motorist was injured in their escapade.
The public in general is getting fed up with this “kids being kids” excuse, which is too often being used to defend those “younger people” who create dangerous situations for the public (you know, us outsiders). Parents need to raise their kids to act like and be a responsible adult, when they become adults.
Parents need to teach their kids, it’s not OK to do things that are ILLEGAL or dangerous as long as you don’t get caught. Not even if it’s dumb, and you think it’s fun. The end results, well, you now know what can happen.
Like I said before, it’s really sad for the parents, but the logic in defense of these “kids” and especially the driver is totally ridiculous. Let’s quit normalizing bad behavior..
People seriously need to stop running there mouths if they don’t even know them. Those boys were loved and well known by everyone. They made a mistake but everyone makes mistakes u act like your some perfect little angel when your not so you should probably just get a life and stop saying stuff about people you didn’t even know. Nuff Said.
So again because we dont condone it and have the same opinion then we dont have a right to post..how bout you get off your high horse and get a life.I am deeply saddend for the familys however im not going to sugar coat tge fact that they were reckless and showed no concern to any human that could have been involved accidently!