Elk Grove family fights to save roadside memorial honoring son killed in motorcycle crash

For more than a year, a roadside memorial of flowers, pictures, and a white cross has sat along Sheldon Road in Elk Grove, but now it's in danger of being taken away.

Allison Lyman is the mother of Connor Lopez, 23, who was hit and killed by a car while riding his motorcycle there in April 2025.

"We didn't want people to forget what happened," Lyman said. "We wanted them to know a life was taken here."

Each Wednesday, she gathers at the site with family and friends to remember her son, with many cars honking as they pass by to show respect.

"We hear them and we know that people love Connor and support him and our family," Lyhman said.

But on June 2, she was given a 30-day notice to remove the roadside memorial — or it would be confiscated.

The family says they received permission from the WinCo shopping center in the area to put up the memorial, but it's located in a landscaping easement managed by the Cosumnes Community Services District.

The agency told CBS News Sacramento that roadside memorials are only allowed in public right-of-ways for 30 days.

"The district remains committed to balancing compassion for residents with its responsibility to manage public property," said Jenna Brinkman, a spokesperson for the agency.

The agency does offer a program where permanent memorials can be placed in parks, but Lyman said her son should be remembered in the spot where his life was taken.

"This is where our family has a connection," she said.

Since the crash, Lyman has become a traffic safety advocate and said she hopes her son's memorial becomes a reminder about the dangers of unsafe driving.

"We have had people approach us and say, 'I drive safer because I see Connor's sign,' and we're so proud of that," she said.

The final date for removal was supposed to be Thursday, but now the district said it is temporarily putting that decision on hold.

The driver who hit Connor Lopez is still facing vehicular manslaughter charges, and a court hearing is scheduled for August 4.