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Friend Remembers Woman Killed In Wrong-Way Crash On I-25

Jenny Kush 4 (killed, Wrong Way HOV, from her Facebook)
Jenny Kush (credit: Facebook)

DENVER (CBS4) - The driver accused of causing a deadly wrong-way crash over the weekend is now facing charges of vehicular homicide and could be charged with drunk driving as well.

The crash happened early Saturday morning in the Interstate 25 HOV lane near Park Avenue West. Police say Rebecca Maez, 27, allegedly was going the wrong way and slammed head on into an SUV. The passenger in the SUV -- a mother of four -- was killed.

Although the victim's name hasn't been officially released by the coroner, friends of Jenny Kush have contacted CBS4 and confirmed she was the victim who died.

Paul Garrett said as tragic as the accident was, he wants to celebrate the life of his good friend. He said they plan to have that celebration at the Hood Lab in downtown Denver on Wednesday. He said for now he's just trying to wrap his head around what happened.

WRONG WAY HOV map
(credit: CBS)

"I just felt crushed, didn't really know any details at that moment," Garrett said. "I didn't really know anything besides Jenny was gone."

He said he will never forget her laugh.

"You would hear it from the next room and that would be your note that Jenny was here," Garrett said.

According to Garrett, Kush was a leading activist in the cannabis community trying to make her mark in Denver.

Kush was on her way home with her boyfriend when the fatal crash occurred.

"I had actually just talked to her about 10 minutes before the wreck happened. They were at a concert downtown. She was telling me about the t-shirt she got and how much fun she had had."

While Garret says it's hard, he wants to put any anger toward the driver aside.

"Because (Kush) wouldn't want that. She would be mad at me sitting here crying right now, but it's how she would want to be remembered," he said.

Rebecca Maez Denver Police_crop
Rebecca Maez (credit: Denver Police Department)

Maez has been previously arrested on DUI and DUI of drugs.

Kush's boyfriend was also injured in the crash but has since been released from the hospital.

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