Clark & Sarah

"Death is a distant rumor to the young."

-Andy Rooney

::Sadness::

Something devastating happened to the small East Bay town of Castro Valley this week, when the small community of friends and neighbors lost two children, well young adults actually, after the very bad decision was made to street race. Police reports say the car, a 1997 Corvette, had lost control on a curve on Dublin Canyon road, just after 12:30 am, slammed into a telephone poll, and then rolled, ending up on it's roof. The impact was so hard, that a front tire was propelled a half mile away, and the police estimated the skid marks to be 300 feet long. It has been determined that it was speed alone that killed those two lovely people, no drugs or alcohol was involved. Just speed.

Those two kids had their whole life in front of them, and years of accomplishments behind them. One story I read about Clark Wright, touched me in particular. It was told to the media by a good friend of Clark's, and detailed a trip to Mexico Clark had taken with his church to help poor children. He was a young man who "could be counted on," said another friend, and coworker, at PW Market, where both Clark and Sarah worked. 18 year old Clark Wright had just graduated from Castro Valley High, this past June, with plans to attend Las Positas College.

Sarah Streicher was just 17, and would have begun her senior year of high school, at Castro Valley High, in a couple weeks. She was a beautiful girl, who could have been a model. Not too much has been mentioned in the media about her life, but from what I read at the makeshift memorial to the two at the crash scene, she was loved very much, by many, many people. I do know that she planned to be a teacher someday. She had a lot of promise, she would have been somebody, had that singular bad decision had not been made the other night.

I am fond of Castro Valley. I grew up there, and went to Castro Valley High. I still have friends in the community, and visit there several times a month to pick up my mail at the PO BOX I don't have the heart to close. I am a sentimental person, sometimes too sentimental, but I think even if I had never lived there, this story would have touched me just as much. I had seen both Clark and Sarah at Joey Franco's PW Market, where they both worked, on numerous occasions. They were nice, friendly young people. I didn't really know them, but in a way I did. It's just all so sad.

The anger grief dishes out tell us to look for blame. It makes things hurt less to be able to blame someone, but I am hoping that this community will look toward healing. The driver of the car Wright was racing, stayed at the scene, and didn't run in fear. I am impressed with that, because so often you hear of no one taking responsibility for their actions. Whoever the driver of the other car involved in the race was, it seems as if they stepped up. Rare in situations like this one. There is a little glimmer of hope in that action alone. Another indication that these were good kids, who made a bad decision. I feel for that person, and the remorse they must feel.

Please keep the families and friends of Clark Wright and Sarah Streicher, in your thoughts and prayers this weekend, as they lay their children to rest.

100 ft section of fence damaged by the accident

Sarah Streicher

"Castro Valley Football Will Always Remember"

Pieces of the car remain nearby as a stark reminder of the accident.

"We understand death for the first time, when it puts his hand upon one whom we love."

-Madame de Stael

-OndineMonet
"Memorial To Clark and Sarah"
Dublin Canyon Road
Castro Valley, California
August 14th, 2008
Early Evening