Four lives leave enormous mark on hearts
EUGENE and SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - A quiet Springfield street is now covered in a cloud of grief.
"It's horrible," said Rhiannon Bustamante, who lost two neighbors in Wednesday's crash: Connie Vermilyea and her son Jaziah (at right).
"To know that it was this little boy that I see every single day, it's just heartbreaking," said Bustamante.
John Ellery said Jaziah was a good kid who used to come over to his house to play games.
"I had a game and it's called the Heavenly Sword," said Ellery. "He'd always call it Healthy Sword for some reason, you know."
Outside the dance studio on West Centennial in Springfield where Heather Mulgrave taught dance, flowers and notes from friends honor the beloved dance teacher and her son Jakobi, a fourth grader at Moffitt Elementary.
The studio hosted a candlelight vigil Thursday night, the end of the first day on Earth without Heather.
"What a neat, talented, courageous woman," said Kelly Lacost. "Jakobi has spunk and drive and character and personality."
The memorials don't end on the sidewalks of Springfield.
Grief crossed city lines into neighboring Eugene. The crash took place on the town's west side. Mulgrave had just picked up her son from his father's house and was giving a dance pupil -- 11-year-old Nima Gibba -- a ride home from class, police said Friday.
At Kennedy Middle School where Gibba attended school. an entire room is now devoted to her memory.
"This room has helped me like a lot," said Mateo Nicholes. "It inspired me about her more."
It's become a place for her friends and classmates to be together, share stories and grieve.
"She'd always call me and say goodnight and I love you and I'll see you tomorrow on the bus," said Mali Bedolla.
"She may not physically be here with us but we know in our hearts that she's always there," said Ella Dooley.
"I love her and I just want to tell her one day I hope I see her again," said Nicholes.
The tribute, her friends said, is exactly the way Nima would have wanted it.
"I think Nima would be proud," said Bedolla. "I think we did a good job guys."
