Roadside memorial in Palm Bay draws support, criticism

It was supposed to be a day of new beginnings. Instead, it turned out to be one of heart-rending tragedy for Frank Caufield and his family.

That was the day the 68-year-old learned his 19-year-old grandson Zachary — who was supposed to have a college interview the following day — died after driving off a road and plunging head-on into a grassy, southwest Palm Bay canal.

“He was driving on his way home when the crash happened,” said Frank Caufield, a Satellite Beach resident. “He had just turned 19 in November and the last time I saw him, on Christmas, he was telling me that he wanted to go to Eastern Florida State College to study air conditioning. He was just one of those kids who was really outgoing.” 

Now a roadside memorial to the teen, made up of two garden chairs, a tall cross plastered with photos and sun-faded flowers, is stirring controversy.

A couple neighbors want it removed. 

Albert Messenger said the memorial is an eyesore that should be removed. He is one of two who contacted Melbourne Tillman Canal authorities about the memorial. A hearing about it is 9 a.m. April 23 at West Melbourne City Hall.

Rules for memorials differ

The memorial, one of any number that dot roadsides across Palm Bay and throughout  Brevard County, is the latest to stir emotion as loved ones co-opt the landscape to recall the lives of those killed in traffic crashes. 

Among the ubiquitous tributes are memorials to those killed in crashes and accidents over the years: There's one to a 17-year-old Heritage High School student killed while walking along Emerson Drive; another dedicated to boy struck by a car on Minton Road. Further along on Malabar Road, there's one where the shrubbery is ringed with flowers, notes and weathered clothing for a man killed on a motorcycle. 

State law does allow for small roadside markers to be placed on state roadways.

Municipalities, however, have varying rules, with some deferring to code enforcement if the tributes are deemed unruly.

"It's considered a private property issue for the most part," said Lt. Steve Bland of the Palm Bay Police Department. "If it's on city property, then it can be something that code enforcement looks at." 

Keeping the memory

The Caufield family is taking up a petition drive to keep the tribute.

They also want more warnings placed along Hoffer Avenue. They believe Zachary Caufield drove into the canal because the warnings about it may not have been clear.

Palm Bay police said the investigation is open and did not release further details surrounding the circumstances leading to the deadly crash.   

Melbourne Tillman authorities would not comment on the shrine but sent FLORIDA TODAY a copy of its policy that effectively bans such structures from being placed along any of its 163 miles of canal.

The roadside shrine to Caufield sits along the canal line and sits several yards from Hoffer Avenue and several neighborhood homes.  

"It's out at the end of the community I live in. I oppose any of those that are not following the legal guidelines," Messenger said. "I find it distracting. The family is overstepping their bounds. They could have done this at the cemetery." 

For their part, the family said they simply want to remember the teen at the spot where he died and hopefully to remind others to be careful.

They added a picture of his dog, Drac, a boxer who died March 27.

"They're together now," Frank Caufield said.

"To us, this is like hallowed ground. Somebody brought out the chairs. The flowers are there also. It's just a place for us to go and pay our respects to him and what we lost." 

Contact Gallop at 321-242-3642, jdgallop@floridatoday.com and Twitter @JDGallop