Colorado families remember lost loved ones, urge road changes on day of remembrance
Sunday was World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
In Parker, dozens gathered to memorialize local victims, bring attention to the preventable deaths and ask the town to make road safety changes.
Eighty-two candles outside of O'Brien Park's gazebo represent the 81 people who were injured and the one person who lost their life in traffic crashes in Parker so far this year. The group behind the remembrance says there have been more than 700 crashes in Parker in 2024. They want people to know that every crash victim isn't just a statistic, but a person with a life and a family.
"He was the hugger in our family. He was so funny. We miss him so much," said Stacee Sparks.
"She was so fun. She was just the girl that made you laugh," said Christy Schultz.
"He just was an incredible human, a man of honor and integrity," said Teri Vogel.
The call that changed Vogel's life came on July 4, 2019.
"I was awakened by a phone call," Vogel said.
Her husband of 40 years, Chuck, had gone for an early morning bike ride.
"Chuck and I were high school sweethearts," Vogel said. "He had been on his bike for two minutes and 36 seconds when he was struck from behind, left on the side of the road. This person did not call for help, did not stop, and continued to flee for days."
Chuck died from his injuries the next day. The person who hit him was eventually caught and sentenced to 18 years in prison.
"Everyone thinks it always happens to someone else until it doesn't," Vogel said.
Stacee Sparks answered the call that changed her life on Sept. 24, 2022.
"He was hit by an unlicensed driver that ran a stop sign. He was riding his motorcycle. He had his helmet on," Sparks said.
Her 19-year-old son Landon died instantly.
As a Parker Police officer, Sparks is usually on the other end of those calls.
"It just goes to show that none of us are immune to traffic-related fatalities. It could happen to anyone," Sparks said.
For Christy Schultz, the call came on July 21, 2020.
"You have to come. She's been in a terrible accident," Schultz said.
Her teenage daughter Sammie had been ejected from the car her friend was driving. She wasn't wearing a seat belt.
"I saw my daughter's shoe in the middle of the road, and I knew that something bad had happened," Schultz said.
Sammie turned 15 the day before her family took her off life support.
In the years since, Schultz started Sammie's Sunshine Foundation, which helps families impacted by auto accidents and spreads awareness about the importance of seat belts.
"There are days that I just, I know we're doing great things," Schultz said. "But then there are days that I call my sister and I say, remind me, good is coming from this, because it's hard to remember right now, because I want her here."
The three women are uniting with other families to create change.
"Every step that we can take towards making our roads safer is a step in the right direction," Sparks said.
Vogel is leading the charge, organizing an online petition, and planning to ask the Parker Town Council in an upcoming meeting to:
- Install automated traffic enforcement cameras for speed and red-light runners at the three highest-volume intersections along Parker Road.
- Increase crosswalk times at the intersection of Parker Road and Main Street during peak usage times.
- Update road signage to "3 feet to pass" for cyclists.
- Commit to implementing a Vision Zero plan.
"In everything I do, I do it for Chuck," Vogel said. "All to hopefully see a greater good and to hopefully have a time in the future where we don't have these things happen, and families don't go through what we've gone through."
In the meantime, the families urge everyone to think twice before getting behind the wheel.
"It's a quick second decision to buckle your seat belt, to look down at a text, to change your radio," Schultz said. "Something you just think of barely, but they can be so life-changing. So I hope that they think about those choices they're making."
"Set down that cellphone, leave earlier if you have to, don't rush. It all makes a difference. And if it can protect one person's life, then, then it makes it worth it," Sparks said.
Also in attendance at the event was Victoria Cegielski, who has been advocating for statewide change after her son, Alex Mackiewicz, was hit and killed in a crosswalk on his way to school.
Starting Nov. 23, Parker Police will be adding two new officers dedicated to enforcing traffic laws. They say it's part of re-implementing a new traffic team and prioritizing road safety as the community grows.
