HOUSTON – It’s been a grueling couple of years for Clayton Vaughn’s family.
The 21-year-old was killed in 2023, when a car he was in was hit by a loose tire from a box truck. A memorial honoring his memory was recently vandalized, and his family members are hoping for justice.
According to the Harris County Pct. 5 Constable’s Office, a box truck was traveling eastbound on I-10 back in April of 2023, when it lost a wheel and a tire. The tire bounced into the westbound lanes near Bunker Hill, striking a car and killing Vaughn, who was sitting in the front passenger seat.
In a recent email, Vaughn’s aunt reached out to KPRC 2 saying a memorial cross was made along the feeder road between Echo Lane and Campbell on I-10 West.
However, recently, it was discovered the memorial was destroyed, Vaughn’s photo was torn and the cross attached to the memorial was burned.
“The cross was broken in half the picture of my nephew that was attached to the cross was burned and everything destroyed,” Sarah Richard said in her email. “Our family is grieving so very much over our nephew’s death and to have now this is like another stab wound to the heart.”
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“I just don’t understand. I’m really hurt, I’m really saddened,” said Vaughn’s mother Rebecca Dittmar.
Dittmar, visits the site often and does her best to maintain the area.
“It’s brings me peace because I’m still taking care of him in a sense,” Dittmar said.
The vandalism to his memorial brings back the terrible memories of his death.
“This is our special place to come and talk to them and be with them and somebody just destroyed it,” said Dittmar.
Vaughn’s family told KPRC 2 they plan to replace the damaged memorial soon and have filed a police report with the Spring Valley Police Department, in hopes of finding the person responsible.