Distracted Driving Victim's Son Calls Crash 'Inexcusable'
WESTMINSTER, Colo. (CBS4)- The only child of a woman killed last week by an alleged distracted driver told CBS4 his mother's passing was "inexcusable." Geoff Brown, 33, said his mother Eve was hit by a 16-year-old driver who was using a phone at the time of the collision.
His mother was sitting at the bus stop near 70th and Sheridan on July 11 at 5:40 a.m. when the car hopped the curb and hit her.
"My mom had a lot of life left ahead of her. And, she was a very forgiving person. But, I think if the shoe was on the other foot, and I had been killed by (someone) texting and driving, she would've been as angry or more angry than I am," Brown said.
In an exclusive interview with CBS4's Dillon Thomas, Brown said he was working in Chicago when he learned of his mother's passing. His uncle called him to let him know his mother was involved in an accident.
It wasn't until later that he learned Westminster police believed the teenage boy was distracted while driving.
Brown said, in his opinion, the words "accident" and "distracted driving" were not proper ways to describe his mother's sudden death.
"It just glosses over how much pain she must have been in," Brown said.
Brown said a driver is either driving, or they are doing something else. He said there should not be an acceptable medium of partially driving.
"When I first heard about it, it was an accident. An act of God. Something that nobody could do anything about," Brown said. "When I heard it was someone manipulating their phone, I was just hollowed out."
Brown has hired the Frickey Law Firm to represent him, as he looks to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the teenage boy accused of killing Eve Brown. The boy was not identified by law enforcement.
"Inexcusable is (the word) I keep grabbing," Brown said. "You never think it is going to be you."
In the days to follow his mother's passing, Brown said there was an overwhelming amount of support from family, friends and the community. He said he never realized how many people his mother impacted, and how deeply she touched them.
"My mom had a real zest for life. She had a great laugh, she had a world-class laugh," Brown said. "She was friendly, and sweet, and funny and self-deprecating. I couldn't ask for a better Mom."
Relying on the support of his family, and others, Brown said he wanted to continue to keep his mother's legacy alive.
"I think about the fun things, and the laughs we all shared together."
