A strange twist of fate
Cops see a lot of things during their careers that most of us never do.
Unspeakable tragedies can be experienced in their daily lives. But sometimes humor and irony may emerge during the most dire set of circumstances.
Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake. The Bay Area suffered a tremendous tragedy when buildings crumbled, freeways collapsed and lives were lost back on Oct. 17, 1989.
One of the worst areas of mortality took place when the second tier of the Cypress Street Viaduct in Oakland collapsed onto the lower level killing 42 people.
Because of a wide range of destruction that included Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Francisco, police were called from all over the area to respond.
The Cypress Structure was located in Alameda County, and a local veteran law enforcement officer was one of the first to respond. Later, one of his responsibilities was to help loved ones identify the remains of those lost under the collapsed freeway.
Many of the lower tier cars were flattened like pancakes. The resulting aftermath was not only gruesome, but one can only imagine the horror for relatives and friends trying to provide positive identifications. This often was done by jewelry or some type of identifying mark unique to the victim.
The officer said the hardest part of his job was watching the reactions of those who suddenly realized their worst fears had been confirmed. It was hard for them to believe the fate of their loved ones had ended in such an unexpected way. How could their timing be so unlucky as to be in this spot at the exact moment the earthquake struck?
But once reality took hold, family survivors and friends expressed their grief in a number of ways. Some screamed in agony. Others openly wept. Still others simply looked in silence and disbelief.
One middle-aged man smiled and actually chuckled a bit, as he viewed jewelry taken from a human hand. He made a positive identification that the ring in question belonged to his wife.
The officer was shocked by the man’s callous reaction. At first, the cop said nothing. But then, his curiosity and investigative nature took hold. He caught the man walking to his car and said the following:
“I couldn’t help but notice your unusual reaction to the discovery your wife had been killed. Can you explain this to me?”
The man duplicated his previous smile and replied that it was a long story. However, he was able to provide a brief summary.
It seems his best friend, whom I will call “Bob,” was going through a separation and had no place to go. The man offered Bob a room at his house until his pal could get new living arrangements established.
But after a few weeks, his wife said she and Bob were in love and wanted a divorce as soon as possible.
And now you’ve probably guessed it. Not only was the unfaithful wife killed on the Cypress Structure, but also the disloyal friend when his black Mercedes compressed under several tons of reinforced concrete.
Was it just coincidence the way it happened, or was it some kind of hidden karma that put these two unscrupulous lovers at the exact spot where the earthquake had created the most fatalities?
Justice has been known to work in mysterious ways. But in this particular case, I supposed it all depends on one’s philosophical point-ofview.