Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Three elections that matter right now ... The Concord launches ... Mail Tribune 100: Oct. 20, 1915 ... Our View: Three elections that matter right now ... The Concord launches ... Mail Tribune 100: Oct. 20, 1915 ... GRANTS PASS Rebuilding a mother's connection to her son Late son's stolen truck is being refurbished by the kindness of strangers Comment By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jul. 13, 2015 at 4:37 PM By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jul. 13, 2015 at 4:37 PM » Social News When Eva Pieper's 1982 Toyota SR5 was stolen from outside her Grants Pass home, it wasn't just a truck that disappeared — it was a connection to her son. The bright-orange pickup truck, affectionately nicknamed "The Orange Crush," once belonged to her 19-year-old son, Scott, who died in 2007. The theft occurred at Pieper's home on Leonard Road sometime the night of May 1. Two weeks later, it was found abandoned and burned near Applegate Lake. Pieper was surprised it had been trashed — she had assumed the thief would have stripped the car and sold its parts. "I never dreamed someone would destroy something like that. ... Because so many people love Toyotas and the parts are so hard to get," she said. The worst part for Pieper was that, to her, the truck represented Scott's bright and adventurous spirit. Seeing it so damaged was a blow to her heart. Another teenager, 18-year-old Grants Pass resident Hunter Kearns, has been arrested in connection with the theft. He is facing five auto-theft charges in several different cases, as well as other charges including reckless driving, attempting to elude an officer and arson. Meanwhile, a Facebook page that was set up with the goal of restoring Pieper's Toyota — "The Crush," for short — has taken on a life of its own. The group has more than 780 members, and people from several states and Canada have offered up Toyota parts, repair services, garage space and transport help. So many people were contacting Pieper about how they could help that she had trouble keeping up with the messages. "It really is cool," she said. She added that the support is coming from two main groups of people — avid Toyota fans and those who were simply touched by the story of her son. Pieper and her husband, TJ Reese, eventually accepted an offer from a Sutherlin couple, Deborah and Scott Sexton, to make the repairs at their business, Deb's Detailing. So "The Crush" is at the Sutherlin garage as the donated parts continue to roll in from all over. Parts still needed include an antenna, battery, front bumper and windshield wipers. Deborah Sexton has been chronicling the repair progress on her business' Facebook page. She said she first learned about The Crush through one of the numerous Toyota Facebook sites she follows. "My heart just broke when I saw it and the story behind it," she said. More than $2,500 has been donated to a Go Fund Me page set up for the cause. Sexton said she, too, is awed by the swelling of support from strangers. She said one man, who lives in Portland, picked up a part in Bellevue, Wash., and drove it to Roseburg, stopping all along the way to pick up more donated parts that needed to be transported. "It's a nationwide project that everybody's kind of watching," she said. The cab and the engine of the Toyota were badly damaged, but the bed and frame were largely intact, and Pieper said the repairs will likely be completed by the end of the summer. "The detailing and the colors are going to be exactly the same, so The Crush is going to be just like it was," Pieper said. To her, that means the return of a symbol of her son and a truckload of memories. The Toyota was what Scott used in high school to cart around his DJ equipment, go camping and make Taco Bell runs with his friends. A 2006 graduate of Grants Pass High School, Scott Pieper left The Crush at home when he went away to the University of Oregon. The Pieper family has requested that the details of his death remain private. Pieper, a sixth-grade science teacher at South Middle School, hopes The Crush can also be a symbol to those who see it driving around town. "I want it to be a reminder to young people in our community that doing something good is more powerful than doing something destructive," she said. Sexton said that when the repairs are finished, about 100 people who have been following the Orange Crush saga online plan to drive their Toyotas to Sutherlin to escort The Crush back to Grants Pass in a caravan. Drivers are expected to come from all over, including from Spokane, Wash., and Pocatello, Idaho. Reach reporter Melissa McRobbie at 541-474-3806 or [email protected] By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jul. 13, 2015 at 4:37 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501