Windsor father and son killed by repeat DUI offender while attending college orientation in Florida, police say
A family in Windsor is mourning the loss of two of their family members after a suspected impaired-driving crash in Orlando, Florida. Shane and Jakob Lloyd were killed in a car crash Sunday afternoon while in Florida for college orientation.
The duo, who lived in Larimer County, are being remembered as caring and family-oriented.
"It is unreal. You are furious. You are numb. Your heart shatters," said Brandy Bowden, the sister of Shane Lloyd.
Bowden said her sister-in-law received an unimaginable call on Sunday afternoon saying her husband and son were killed in an apparent drunk-driving crash.
The suspect in the case, 40-year-old Leslie Gehret, survived the collision and was treated for minor injuries before being booked in a Florida jail.
Gehret has a criminal record including previous impaired driving arrests. Bowden said the suspect's criminal history made her alleged role in the Sunday afternoon crash even more inexplicable.
"It wasn't an accident, and I think that's what's the worst," Bowden said.
Police in Florida said the Lloyds were legally turning through an intersection with the right of way when Gehret allegedly ran the red light and crashed into the side of their vehicle at a high rate of speed. Jakob was pronounced deceased on location, while Shane was taken to a local hospital where he later passed away.
"There's no way to describe how we're actually feeling. It's a hurt I never thought would exist," Bowden said.
Jakob recently graduated from Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins. Bowden said he was known to always wear shorts no matter how cold it was outside. That was part of the reason he decided to go to college in Florida, where he hoped to become either a lawyer or a forensic chemist.
"For such a young man who was going to have a bright future, and it ends so abruptly, it's not fair," Bowden said. "He played the bass in the orchestra, he played lacrosse, he played football. He was really good at everything. And that athletic bone came from their dad."
Shane was described as a protective yet gentle brother, uncle, father and husband. He and his wife had been married for more than two decades. Bowden said the only time she ever saw Shane cry, away from funerals, was the day he married the love of his life.
"He was the best dad. He was a wonderful husband," Bowden said. "Everyone just aspired to be like him, and we all wanted to make him proud."
The family said their heartache only grew after they learned the suspect in the case qualified for a bond, especially after knowing she had a criminal history which included previous DUI convictions.
Bowden encouraged the public to not drink and drive in honor of her loved ones.
"Do not get behind the wheel of a car (when you are intoxicated), because a split second can change somebody's life," Bowden said. "And the one who was drinking is always the one who walks away with minor injuries. And it's not right."
