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CLACKAMAS COUNTY, OR (KPTV) — Flowers, angel statues and a brand-new Willow tree have a home along Highway 224 in Clackamas County to memorialize the life of Anthony Higgins, a 32-year-old man who died this summer.
According to Oregon State Police, Higgins was heading west on Highway 224 on July 10 when his car hit the median, he lost control, drove down the embankment and his car rolled over. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
As of July 11, when OSP sent the last press release, the accident is still under investigation.
“My son was going over 100 mph down this stretch,” Lori Higgins said. “He knew how to drive; it just, I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense to me. It really doesn’t.”
Anthony’s mom, Lori Higgins, put the memorial up just a week after the crash happened, and it was vandalized.
“Myself and my four-year-old grandbaby came out here one day, and somebody had torn up plants,” Higgins said. “They stomped ’em, took LED candles, ripped them out of the ground, my grandbaby had pictures out here she had drawn that were tore up and threw all over the place.”
Higgins visits the memorial every week. This week, the memorial was vandalized again – this time, the vandals taking a customized cross from the site, which was covered with pictures of Anthony and his loved ones.
“My son loved weeping willow trees. So, as a part of his memorial, I had some people come out this morning to plant a 10-foot weeping willow tree, and as we pulled up along Highway 224, I immediately noticed his cross was gone,” Higgins said.
She said she’s heartbroken someone would do this.
“It’s like taking him from me a second time,” Higgins said through tears. “It’s a place for me, my mom, my grandbaby comes out here every week with me, and she hugs that cross and kisses the pictures of my son on there and talks about how he has wings.”
Higgins wants to put up another cross in its place and is looking for a local business she can support during the pandemic.
Anyone with information about who may have taken the cross, or a business who can help design a new cross for her son’s memorial site can reach Higgins at lhspot@live.com.
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