"I need answers": Family of National Grid worker killed in crash exploring possible lawsuit, starting scholarship
CAMBRIDGE - A day before Roderick Jackson's family was set to lay him to rest, they made an announcement from a Boston law firm. "I need answers," said his mother, Norma Asprilla.
"We want justice," added his brother Manuel Asprilla-Hassan. "We want to keep my brother's name alive."
They're exploring a possible lawsuit. Attorneys are looking into suspect Peter Simon's criminal history. He's facing manslaughter after the incident that killed Jackson, who was working on a line for National Grid, and Waltham police officer Paul Tracey December 6.
"If there's any benefit to come out of this, it's to do something to ensure that another tragedy like this never happens again," said their attorney Thomas Flaws, who has called Simon a habitual offender, saying the system failed the victims.
Jackson's family affectionately called him "Kito". "He didn't just mean everything to us, he was everything to us," said Manuel.
To him, he was an older brother who was also a sort of father-figure. "I remember I told him about when I got my scholarship to college at B.C. I could see it in his eyes. He was the proudest he's ever been," Manuel said.
He said he went to every one of his college football games, cheered him on through a stint with the NFL, and then law school. "I just remember him saying, don't worry about applications. I'm going to pay for everything," he said.
Jackson's family also announced they're starting a scholarship in his memory. He was the first one in his family to go to college, so they want to give others like him the same opportunity.
