Saturday afternoon, I was on US-19, complaining about a huge traffic jam. In the distance, I could see cop cars and ambulances making their way though the steel sea. A helicopter was circling around the scene, as if looking for something.
As I got closer, I could see the scene. It was gruesome. I could see mangled cars and a dozen cop cars had closed off a block between Bellair and Nursery roads. Ambulances. Two photographers on a fire truck's cherry picker, taking pictures of the scene. An EMT walking slowly back to his vehicle with an empty stretcher. People standing in the parking lot of a strip mall, draped in disbelief. Glass on the asphalt. Chaos.
A gray Scion xB was covered with two blankets, one white and one yellow. Never a good sign. Nausea swelled inside as I crept past the wreckage. I had a bad feeling. Almost as if I knew who was under the blanket. Unfortunately, it turns out I did.
Local music biz impresario Jancarlos Alberto “JC” Schaffer, 22, and Rich Kelly were the victims. JC ran JC Schaffer Productions, booked shows at Market on 7th in Ybor and ran Rossco Studios. He was into everything. When I met him, he was managing Hey Rube. We never really clicked, but I always had respect for what he was trying to accomplish. Of course, it’s not until you can’t that you find out you want to get to know someone.
This article appears in Jun 17-23, 2010.