OSWEGO -- A candlelight vigil brought out about 400 friends and family Wednesday night, to honor 3 young men killed in a car crash.
Five men in their 20s, all from Oswego, were in the car when it smashed into a utility pole near the Oswego Speedway.
Three of the passengers were pronounced dead at the scene; Robert L. Senke, 25, Justin M. Purdy, 24, and Antonio Mendez, 28.
"It didn't really hit me until I saw the names. Then it clicked," said Chris Bucher who was friends with Justin Purdy. "He was a good kid. He was a father, he had a son. He knew how to raise his kid."
Two other passengers, 26-year-old Donald M. Odin and 22-year-old Jeremy W. Tassie were taken to Upstate Medical Center with injuries and are expected to recover.
Police say Senke was driving at the time of the crash. The car is registered to Odin.
"There's so many memories. You've just got to remember all the good things about them and not all this," said friend Renee Ferlito.
Throughout the day and night the memorial at the crash scene continued to grow. Mourners dropped off flowers, balloons, candles and pictures.
Police say a preliminary investigation indicates that all of the men had consumed alcohol prior to the crash. Speeding may have also been a factor.
