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Motorist plows through Oak Lawn Triangle, damaging Legacy of Love Monument
November 13th, 2009
- Michael Milliken, right, president of the Oak Lawn Committee, and activist Jesse Garcia survey damage to the Legacy of Love Monument on Friday morning.
A motorist plowed through the Oak Lawn Triangle at Cedar Springs Road and Oak Lawn Avenue sometime early Friday, causing extensive damage to the three-year-old Legacy of Love Monument.
Based on the damage, it appeared as though the motorist jumped the curb while traveling southwest on Oak Lawn Avenue. The vehicle then struck the wall in front of Frank H. Caven Memorial Gardens, dislodging a plaque, before upending two of the pillars that surround the main monument.
Pieces of plastic and metal from the vehicle could be seen Friday morning amid the crumbled concrete that was strewn across the Oak Lawn Triangle. Rebar was sticking up from the ground where the pillars stood, and plaques that adorned the tops of the pillars were lying flat on the pavement.
Sr. Cpl. Janice Crowther, a spokeswoman for the Dallas Police Deparment, said the agency’s computer system was down so she was unable to immediately retrieve any information about the accident, assuming it was reported to police. A manager from nearby Walgreens said he reviewed security video from last night and determined that police and a tow truck responded to the accident at about 2:40 a.m.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Michael Milliken, president of the Oak Lawn Committee, which erected the $250,000 monument using private donations as a tribute to the area’s diversity. “It’s heartbreaking because of all the work and donations that went into building this.”
Milliken said the monument was completed in October 2006. Fortunately last night’s accident didn’t damage the main structure, and Milliken said he was unsure how much repairs would cost. He also said he didn’t believe the damage was intentional or a hate crime.
“I don’t think so, but anything’s possible,” Milliken said. “Nobody in their right mind would have suffered the damage this would have caused to their car.”
Milliken said he was tentatively planning a volunteer day beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday to clean up the damage. He also said people could donate to the nonprofit fund that’s been set up for maintenance of the monument by going to www.oaklawncommittee.org.
More pics after the jump.
Tags: Jesse Garcia, Legacy of Love, Michael Milliken, Oak Lawn, Oak Lawn Committee
November 13th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Is there any information on the motorist who did this? Was there a police report filed?
November 13th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
yeah we need to find out about this person. they need to pay!!! if not, we all need to chip in and take care of this.
November 13th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
As the story notes, the Police Department’s computer system was down this morning. Also, accident reports generally take 24 hours to be processed into the system. I’ll update the post as soon as additional information becomes available.
November 13th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Walgreens mgr said he saw it on tape.
Car insurance had property damage coverage, assuming the driver was insured.
File a claim.
November 13th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Very sad. Let’s hope the guy had insurance and that repairs can be done soon. While they fix the pillars, maybe they can redo the lights? They were so bright and colorful 3 years ago and now they’re barely visible.
November 13th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
$20 says QueerLiberaction will organize a protest.
November 13th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Ugh…the thing is an eyesore! They need to plow the whole thing down and start over. No more money to rebuild this piece of crap! This is the second time this has happened too. Just let it fall apart as it continues to get hit by more drunken motorists! Hit and run baby! Hit and run! Let’s git it!
November 14th, 2009 at 8:14 am
It would appear that Gary H is volunteering to redesign the monument.
He must have more than $250,000 to offer and some better drunk protection to add in his design.
WAY TO GO Gary H…. !! Thanks for your comments and sorry you think it to be an eyesore but I know you’ll do better huh?
Go for it baby, just git your ass in gear and show us your true colors.
November 14th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Hopefully the driver goes have insurance… by why doesnt the oak lawn committee have their own insurance plan to cover the monument?
November 14th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
[...] finally tracked down a police report about the accident early Friday that damaged the Legacy of Love Monument at Oak Lawn Avenue and Cedar Springs Road. Based on the report, it appears as though the motorist [...]
November 14th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Thank you to everyone who expressed concern and suggestions (but we will not let it fall apart; and, yes, the OLC pays for insurance on the Monument, but we would rather not use it so our premiums will not go higher; and we are working on the electrical problems.)
We have the police report numbers and will pursuing the insurance company of the driver who missed the curve and crashed into the brick stands.
Thank you to Jesse Garcia and several members of Stonewall Democrats who worked with members of the Oak Lawn Committee this morning to clean up the damage done to the Legacy of Love Monument at the Oak Lawn Triangle. Special thanks to Dwight Hennenberger of Henneberger Construction (they built the monument 3 years ago) for hauling away the debris.
November 14th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
If you would like to make a donation to help us fix it up, please go to our website:
http:www.oaklawncommittee.org
Michael Milliken
President, The Oak Lawn Committee
November 14th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
It was probably some drunk trying to get home after getting hammered at the “crossroads”.
November 14th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Nooo! Please don’t donate money to this monstrosity! If we let it go perhaps it will just fall apart and be gone in 20 years. It is a monument of bad taste.
November 14th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Hey everyone, Michael Milliken and the Oak Lawn Committee worked their asses off to get this
Monument completed – even after finding out the foundation pilings had to go much deeper
than originally anticipated resulting in much more expense. I think it’s a terrific piece of work -
and I especially like the plaques that commemorate various individuals and groups that have played an important part in the GLBT Community and Oak Lawn over the years.
I strongly encourage everyone to visit their website at http://www.oaklawncommittee.org
and chip in whatever you can afford $ 10, $ 100, $ 1000….this “plaza” belongs to all of us
and let’s repair it and keep it looking good. Milliken and his partners deserve nothing but
praise for seeing this project to completion – when others would have thrown in the towel.
And to Gary H. if you’d like to write a check for $ 250,000 to build your own “good taste” monument – please – feel free to do so ! Sounds to me you are one of those people that just
sit on the sidelines and complain while other people raise money and do the REAL work.
What a champ !!!
November 15th, 2009 at 1:38 am
Well if we aren’t going to let the thing fall apart, can’t we all just show up with a can of latex paint and TRY to bring the hideous factor of it down a notch? We could make it an annual event where the community gets together and expresses themselves with a can a paint. Let the community represent ITSELF! We could do themes too….like xmas coming up!
November 16th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Ya know, in some ways Philllip S has an interesting point… Kinda like a public Grafiti Wall where the locals can change a decorated area that constantly changes over and over. Be it with some kind of tacky scribble.. or something more artistic. Every defined amount of time the Oak Lawn Committe paints it white and allows the neighbors to do their thing once again.
December 16th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
[...] are being sought to cover the cost of repairing the Legacy of Love Monument, which was heavily damaged last month when a motorist plowed through the structure at Cedar Springs Road and Oak Lawn Avenue. Representatives from the Oak Lawn Committee, which built [...]