SWEET TEA from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette: The day a man, his music died

By JAY GRELEN

   The Preliminary Fatal Crash Summary doesn't note that, on the last Saturday afternoon of his life, David Elliott was on his way to meet two friends for an early supper.
   The report doesn't mention that he had just spent two weeks teaching teenagers the art of the saxophone at the Dixie Band Camp at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
   Nor does it mention that, if a truck hadn't forced him into the path of an 18-wheeler, that last week he would have driven his spanking-new Toyota Camry to New Jersey to ride the fastest roller coaster in the United States.
   Mr. Elliott was born Nov. 15, 1963, and, according to the report, he was wearing his seat belt. He was driving east on I-40 when a truck forced him into the median and into the westbound lanes, where an 18-wheeler ran over his car.
   The tractor-trailer’s fuel tank ruptured, and both vehicles caught fire, which spread to the hill on the north side of the interstate. State police weren't able to report a positive identification of Mr. Elliott until the next week.
   After the band camp ended that Saturday, Mr. Elliott’s friends DeWayne Wilson, a fellow band director, and John Dieckman had gone ahead to Gaucho’s restaurant in Little Rock while Mr. Elliott, driving his 3-week-old Camry, detoured to grab cash from a money machine.
   After an hour at the restaurant, during which they tried to reach Mr. Elliott on his cell phone, the men drove back toward Conway, only to be caught in the traffic that was backed up from the crash, just west of Mayflower, past the Maumelle exit several miles east. Westbound traffic on two-lane Arkansas 365, which runs parallel to the interstate, was bumper to bumper from Maumelle to Conway.
   About 7 p.m., even as the two friends sat in traffic, their friend Traci Jernigan called Mr. Wilson’s cell phone to tell them of Mr. Elliott’s apparent crash. She had learned of it from state police, who had contacted her in their efforts to find family members.
   Ms. Jernigan, band director at Heber Springs High, had known Mr. Elliott since their days at UCA 20 years ago. Mr. Elliott owned a four wheeler. He enjoyed Dixieland jazz, and Eric Clapton was his favorite musician. Occasionally, he performed with a Conway band called Loose Ends.
   Mr. Elliott, who lived in Searcy and is survived by two brothers and a sister, had been band director at Heber Springs Middle School for five years.
   Mr. Wilson and Mr. Elliott have ridden 75 roller coasters over the last five or six summers. Last summer, they rode the 420-foot-tall, 120-mph Top Thrill Dragster in Ohio, which at the time was the country’s fastest.
   The police report of Mr. Elliott’s death doesn't mention any of that. It doesn't speak of his affection for band kids, or of theirs for him.
   The state trooper’s official details of Mr. Elliott’s last minutes are spare: Fatal #: 298. Accident #: 265 Date of Accident: 6/25/2005. Time of Accident: 3:10 pm # Killed (01) # Injured: (01).
   You can still see the burnt hill on the north side of I-40, where green already is sprouting through the blackened earth and stubble. Like the police report about Mr. Elliott’s death, this charred place only hints at the loss.

This story was published Sunday, July 17, 2005

     This article has in no uncertain terms reminded me of a task that I have to now avoided. Each time I try to write this, I leave it unfinished; to sum up a life in mere words is too much for me, at least.
     David was in the band when I went to Bryant in 1980. From the first day, I recognized him as one of those students we all dream of: talented, sincere, and dedicated. He wanted, perhaps more than I, the best for the Bryant band, and played a key role in the successes of those humble beginnings. Even as a student, he ran for Bryant school board, and was a viable candidate. He organized many of our fund raisers, and kept detailed records on each one. His work largely enabled the band to take its first major trip.  
     As with any of our students, I was happy to see him continue on in music. His dedication, persistence, and hard work brought him success at UCA, and, as was David's way, he saw a need and devoted himself to its fulfillment. He was an important part of the early success of that band, and the KKY chapter as well.
     I still count it as one of the great joys of my life to include David as a fellow director. As we all know, he applied his life-long attributes to becoming a successful director at Searcy and Heber Springs. It was always a small joy to hear him greet me at All-State--"Hello, Mr. Alexander." I could never get him to call me Ed. As we also know, that was David.
     I learned of David's death on the way to vacation in Colorado. I thought about him each day, and the things I would write about him. Learning of the horrible details of the wreck only increased the hurt, and delayed my writing. For him to die was unjust; to die in such a way was unspeakable.
     As I said at the outset, mere words cannot sum up a life such as David's. He was the kind of person, the kind of band director, that I have always hoped to be. He taught for all the right reasons-- the love of music, and the love of students.
     As Claude Smith reminded us not too long ago, nothing in life is guaranteed. As we start a new school year, and a new time with our students, think for a moment about those young lives that we influence. Try not to take them for granted. Remember that we share a gift that goes on for ever. Do it for David.

Ed Alexander
Director of Bands
Arkansas State University