HILO — They are subtle changes to the landscape that may do little to grab the attention of passing motorists on Hilo’s Kinoole Street.
Yet for the friends of Brody Winslow, the fresh cedar power pole and shopping cart full of flowers are more than just new objects along the roadside.
They are both symbols of tragedy and tribute, a reminder of the loss of their friend and a memorial for a young man they described as a “philosophic wanderer” who looked out for others.
“He loved other people,” said Patrick Miron.
“He was always willing to help someone out.”
Winslow, 20, died April 11 after being hit by a truck while riding his bicycle near his home at 1710 Kinoole St.
The alleged driver, Alison E. Taylor, also then hit a power pole, which was replaced that day, before being arrested on Palai Street.
To honor Winslow, his friends have placed the cart in a yard near the pole with flowers and a few bottles of Mike’s Hard Lemonade, his favorite drink.
Next to that lies a replica of the flag used by the pirate Blackbeard — a reference to his native North Carolina, where Blackbeard once sailed —and a poster, with “For Brody” written in large red letters, carrying messages written by friends.
All together, they illustrate that he had more than just friends on the Big Island, said Eddie Potter, 23.
“This memorial shows that he definitely has a family away from the family he had at home,” he said.
Winslow moved to Hilo in the fall of 2010, where he began studying psychology at Hawaii Community College.
After finishing some courses he began taking classes online with a college in North Carolina, said Miron, one of his roommates.
When he was hit, at approximately 7:29 a.m., Winslow was coming home from a friend’s house, and was only a few feet away from his driveway, said his roommates, who were jolted by the sound of a loud crash.
“That’s what we woke up to,” Miron said.
“We didn’t realize he was hit.
“It shouldn’t have happened.”
Winslow didn’t have a car on the island and relied on his bike to get around.
“He rode his bike everywhere,” said Joey Gomez, 22.
“He was super humble.”
And, as far as they knew, he never gave much thought to the dangers posed by motorists.
“He never complained about anything,” Gomez said.
Police say Taylor, who has been charged with negligent homicide, accident involving death or serious injury, failure to provide information or render aid, driving with a suspended license and inattention to driving, appeared to be under the influence of drugs.
A drug test was conducted; results will remain confidential until released to the court, said a police spokeswoman.
Taylor, now an employee at Thai Thai Restaurant in Volcano, is a former pharmacy technician at Windward Pharmacy who was awarded a certificate of merit from Hawaii County police for helping stop a robbery there in 2010.
She will return to 3rd Circuit Court on May 10 for a preliminary hearing.
Winslow’s death was the 10th traffic fatality this year on the Big Island.
Dozens of cyclists will participate in a memorial ride in memory of Winslow and two other cyclists killed by drivers Sunday in New Hanover County, N.C.
