Oswego (WSYR-TV) -- Hundreds gathered at the site where three men died following a crash in Oswego Tuesday night. One survivor of the crash was at the vigil with bandages still on his face and cuts on his arms. The young sons of those killed sat in front with their mothers.
The reality that three friends are gone is still settling in, coming to terms with how and why they died is more complicated.
“It shouldn’t have happened. It’s terrible,” said Tiffany Savage, a cousin of one of the crash victims. “Look at all these people gathered today, all for these three people. How many people loved all these guys, you know…and they are gone.”
Police believe alcohol and speed may have played a role in the crash that killed the three men, including the driver. Each of them was a father with small children, sons and friends to many.
“That first day is just shock, not really realizing what to expect. It still hasn’t hit,” said a friend of one of the victims, Chris Bucher. “They all had kids. Those kids are going to have a tough life now, they don’t have their dads.”
With each flower left behind and every candle lit, there was quiet reflection in the teary eyes of friends, who are now left to wonder if this memorial could have been prevented.
“I’m hoping everybody learns from this, I really do. Don’t take it for granted – don’t,” said Brian Savage, who worked with one of the victims.
The mother of one man killed was so filled with grief, she had to be taken away in an ambulance.
And while police believe alcohol and speed were involved, it's important to note that the investigation continues.
