CALDWELL, Idaho — Petrea Lee's worst nightmare became reality on Aug. 21, 2024, when she received the news about her 18-year-old son Shawn.
WATCH | Hear more about Shawn's life and the removal of his memorial site—
"They said, 'There's been an accident.' I asked, 'What hospital is he in?' And they said, 'He's not. He's at a funeral home.' I lost it," Lee said.
Shawn died after losing control of his car while speeding on Ustick Road. The Homedale High School graduate was killed instantly when a fence pole came through his vehicle and struck him in the head.
"He had no business driving that fast. He knew it was wrong. The cop made a U-turn to pull him over — but by the time he turned around, all he could see was dust and debris. They were pole fences, and one of the poles came through and hit him in the head, the back of the head, and killed him instantly. So I was told he didn't suffer," Lee said.
Matt Holtry, Homedale High School principal, remembered Shawn as someone the entire community cherished.
"He's just such a good, good young man, and to see him grow from his freshman year, where he's kind of quiet and reserved to start to blossom and to become his own man was a cool thing to see," Holtry said.
"It sent shockwaves. We're a small, tight-knit town. We say, 'One town, one team, one family.' Shawn's spirit really touched everyone — from adults to younger kids. His loss hit hard," Holtry said.
Like many grieving families, Lee placed a memorial cross at the crash site. But last fall, it disappeared. She replaced the cross on Shawn's birthday in June, but by September, it was removed again.
"I called the sheriff's office. I called the highway district for that area, and they said if you measure 24 ft from the road, that is our easement, you can place the cross there. They said, at 25 ft is where we put our telephone poles. And at 26 ft, that's in their property," Lee said.
When Lee shared her experience online, she discovered other families faced similar situations.
"So many families told me their memorials had been removed, too. How? Where's the humanity? What is wrong with the world that we can't honor someone's grief? That we can't let them do what they need to grieve properly?" Lee said.
According to Idaho law, roadside memorials are allowed with the family's consent as long as they don't block safety lines or traffic signs.
For Lee, the memorial serves a greater purpose beyond remembering her son.
"If this cross gets one person to slow down — one person to check their speed — then my son didn't die in vain," Lee said.
Lee also reflected on her son's character despite his accident.
"He had his faults, but he was good," Lee said.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.