Am I the Only One?

I can't help it, even 20 years later, every time I see a yellow Jeep, I immediately think of Chris Porco, the Delmar native convicted of using an axe to bludgeon his father to death while severely wounding and disfiguring his mom.

The attacks happened 20 years ago last November, but few in the area who remember this horrendous crime can see a yellow Jeep without thinking of Chris.

The defense in the Porco murder trial theorized that he drove more than three hours to Albany in the early hours of November 15 to attack his parents.

A Thruway toll collector outside of Rochester, where Chris Porco went to college, said a yellow Jeep Wrangler with large tires passed through his station at about 10:45 p.m. on November 14. A collector in Albany recalled the "excessive speed" of a yellow Jeep Wrangler approaching the toll plaza shortly before 2 a.m. on November 15.

Capital Region PTSD

Recently, a yellow Jeep was parked near my home in Albany, giving me an eerie feeling. And lately, I feel like I've been seeing them everywhere.

The other day, I was driving around town and saw a yellow Jeep approaching me.  I also have a Jeep (a white one); often, fellow Jeep owners give each other a little "wave" as they pass.

However, as the man in the yellow Jeep came closer, I found myself reaching for pepper spray and making sure my windows were locked, even though Chris Porco has been locked up since 2006.

This might be a slight exaggeration, but I'd imagine I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Other Stories that Still Haunt Us

Over the past 15 or 20 years, more than a few Capital Region news stories still haunt me to this day.

For example, every time I'm out near Schoharie traveling on or near Routes 30 and 30A, I think of the horrific limo crash that took the lives of 20 people, including the driver, in 2018.

When I'm on the Northway near Clifton Park, I'm reminded of the tragedy instigated by Dennis Drue, the drunk driver whose reckless actions took the lives of Shenendehowa students Christopher Stewart and Deanna Rivers, while seriously injuring their close friends Bailey Wind and Matt Hardy back in 2013.

The Wind family no longer lives in New York, but I often exchange texts or chat through social media. They're wonderful people, and I believe they're still healing.

I don't know this for a fact, but it's safe to assume that the constant reminder of that painful crash is one of the reasons they left New York.

I'm not suggesting that anyone feel bad for me and my low grade "Capital Region PTSD."

Undoubtedly, that's reserved for the families and the communities who endured (and continue to endure) trauma from these tragic events.

Still, there are far too many that we'll never forget. And I'm fine if I go a little while without seeing another yellow Jeep.