CLEARWATER, FL (WFLA) -Two spring breakers in Clearwater, Florida spent several hours behind bars after they ripped out a stop sign and tossed it in a nearby bush.

John Wade of Pennsylvania, 21, and William Sassic of Michigan, 22, were arrested for the crime and didn’t seem to have an answer for why they did it when NBC4’s sister station WFLA asked the two about the incident as they walked out of court on Monday.READ MORE: Series of bad decisions lands spring breaker in Florida jail

The act carries dangerous, potentially deadly consequences.

Ann Hertl and her sister, Carrie Kennedy know this all too well.

Hertl’s son was killed at an intersection where a stop sign had been removed.

“You keep saying it’s not my son, you know, they made a mistake and the reality hits you a few minutes later that it is your son and the pain never goes away. The pain never goes away,” she said.

“Clearly this trip to Clearwater is one these two young men will never forget, and one thing they should remember is what not to do the next time they visit. These kids, teenagers, even college kids that are doing it, need to realize that it affects a lot of lives, a lot of lives,” Hertl added.

The two people responsible for her son’s death were arrested and convicted on manslaughter charges, but those convictions were eventually overturned on appeal.

The sign ripped out by Wade and Sassic has since been replaced.READ MORE: Florida police cracking down on underage spring breakers