RELEASE
RELEASE THIS PHONE NEXT YEAR. >>> WE ALL SEE THE SIGNS ON THE
SIDE OF THE ROAD DEDICATED TO
LIVES LOST ON THE ROAD.
RARELY DO WE KNOW THE STORIES
BEHIND THEM.
BEHIND THEM. TONIGHT, BOYD HUPPERT SHARES A
STORY ABOUT ONE SIGN THAT YOU
LIKELY WILL NOT FORGET.
>> Reporter: ON THE OUTSIDE,
EVERYTHING SEEMED JUST FINE.
BUT, INSIDE, MAGGIE CRONE
NEEDED A SIGN.
>> IT IS ABOUT TIME.
IT TOOK 46 YEARS TO COME TO
THIS POINT.
THIS POINT. >> Reporter: 46 YEARS AND STILL
NAVIGATING.
NAVIGATING. NOT -- STILL NAVIGATING WHAT
HAPPENED ON WEST 66th STREET.
>> Reporter: EDDIE CRONE WAS
NINE, SECOND OLDEST OF THE FOUR
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. >> I WAS 11.
>> I WAS EIGHT,
>> I WAS SIX.
>> JANUARY 20, 1972, JUST AFTER
SUPPER, THE KIDS AND THEIR MOM
WERE WALKING THREE BLOCKS TO A
BOOK FAIR AT THEIR SCHOOL WHEN
THEY REACHED WEST 66th.
>> I REMEMBER PUSHING THE
BUTTON.
BUTTON.
BUTTON. AND WALKING ACROSS THE STREET
AND SEEING THE YELLOW LINE.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM! EDDIE WAS GONE.
MAGGIE'S EDDIE WAS THROWN MORE
THAN 100 FEET BY THE FORCE OF A
CAR DRIVEN BY ANOTHER SCHOOL
PARENT WHO RAN THE LIGHT.
>> I REMEMBER THE SOUND.
>> Reporter: THE WHOLE FAMILY
WROTE IN THE AMBULANCE TO THE
HOSPITAL.
HOSPITAL.
HOSPITAL. >> THERE HE LAID AND HIS BODY
WAS SO COLD.
SO COLD.
SO COLD.
SO COLD. >> Reporter: AFTER THE FUNERAL,
EDDIE'S BROTHERS AND SISTERS
WERE SENT TO AN UNCLE'S HOUSE.
AT THEIR OWN HOME, RELATIVES
REMOVED NEARLY EVERY TRACE OF
EDDIE.
EDDIE.
EDDIE. HIS BED, HIS CLOTHES, HIS
SHOES.
SHOES.
SHOES. >>
SHOES. >> EVERYTHING.
>> EVERYTHING. >> EVERYTHING WAS GONE.
>> EVERYTHING WAS GONE.
INCLUDING HIM.
INCLUDING HIM. >> YOU NEVER TALKED ABOUT IT?
>> NO, WE DID NOT.
SHE WAS COACHED BY EVERYBODY
ELSE NOT TO TALK ABOUT IT.
>> Reporter: NO GRIEF
COUNSELORS, NO FAMILY THERAPY.
>> HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED.
>> JUST GO, GO THROUGH IT BY
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF. SO THE KIDS DON'T SEE YOU, SO
THE KIDS NEVER SAW ME MORNING
FOR EDDIE.
FOR EDDIE. >> Reporter: SHE SHREDDED THE
AUTOPSY AND KEPT HER MEMORIES
TO HERSELF.
TO HERSELF. >> IT WAS NEVER TALKED ABOUT.
EVEN IN SCHOOL, STUDENTS WERE
TOLD NOT TO MENTION IT TO US
WHEN WE CAME BACK TO SCHOOL.
>> Reporter: TO THIS DAY,
MAGGIE STRUGGLES.
MAGGIE STRUGGLES. NOW, SOMEONE ELSE TOLD HER
CHILDREN, THEIR BROTHER HAD
DIED.
DIED.
DIED. MAGGIE NEEDED A SIGN.
AND, 46 YEARS AFTER LOSING
EDDIE, SHE GOT ONE.
THE SIGN WAS BOB'S IDEA.
BY ADOPTING THIS SECTION OF
66th STREET HEAT HOPED TO HONOR
HIS OTHER.
HIS OTHER. IT HAS BECOME MORE.
>> IT IS A NEW BEGINNING.
>> Reporter: THE OPENING, THE
WHOLE FAMILY NEEDED TO TALK
ABOUT EDDIE.
ABOUT EDDIE. >> NOW WE CAN.
>> Reporter: TWO DAYS BEFORE
THEIR FIRST TRASH PICKUP,
MAGGIE COUNTED THE STEPS WITH
ALL THREE OF HER SURVIVING
CHILDREN TO EDDIE'S GRAVE.
>> I AM SORRY I NEVER TALKED
ABOUT IT TO YOU.
>> MOM, IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT,
YOU DID NOT KNOW.
IT WAS A DIFFERENT TIME AND
DAY.
DAY.
DAY. >>
DAY. >> I
DAY. >> I LOVE YOU MOM.
>> I LOVE YOU GUYS MORE THAN
YOU'LL EVER KNOW.
>> JUST ONE MORE HURDLE.
TWO BLOCKS FROM MAGGIE'S HOUSE
LIES THE INTERSECTION WHERE
EDDIE TOOK HIS LAST STEPS.
>> SHE HAS NEVER CROSSED THAT
STREET SINCE JANUARY 20, 1972.
>> IT IS HEALING FOR HER.
SPEAK AND WE HAVE GOT TO GO
MAMA.
MAMA.
MAMA. >>
MAMA. >> PROBABLY FOR ALL OF US.
>> Reporter: MAGGIE GOT HER
SIGN.
SIGN.
SIGN. FINALLY, SHE IS READY TO PICK
UP AND MOVE ON.
>> HE WALKED WITH US TODAY.
>> Reporter: BOYD HUPPERT, --
>> MAGGIE AND HER KIDS HOPE
THEIR EXPERIENCES WILL HELP
OTHERS.
OTHERS.
OTHERS. WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN THE
DISCUSSION AT NOON ON THE
KARE11 FACEBOOK PAGE.
>> WHAT A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY.
WE ARE HAPPY FOR HER AND I
THINK THAT WILL BE FABULOUS
TOMORROW AT NOON IF YOU CAN