DENVER — The family of a Highlands Ranch boy killed on his way to school earlier this month pleaded Thursday that more be done to prevent traffic-related deaths in Colorado.
Alexander “Alex” Mackiewicz, 13, was struck and killed by a driver while on his way to school on March 6.
The suspect, 52-year-old Ruben Morones, allegedly ran the red light at the intersection that the boy was crossing on his way to school when Morones fatally struck him, according to investigators.
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Morones was arrested a week after the crash on several charges, including careless driving causing death, careless driving causing serious bodily injury to a vulnerable road user and failure to obey a traffic control signal — charges that carry a maximum sentence of a $1,000 fine and one year in county jail in Douglas County.
Speaking through tears, Alex’s mother, Victoria Cegielski, spoke to news media Thursday, calling for tougher penalties for careless drivers, better traffic safety laws, as well as the need for redesigned intersections, signage and lights for school children.
“It's very hard for me to come and talk to you guys right now because I am very private person, but if remain private, his death — his loud scream of death — will not be heard and something has to happen in the memory of my son,” Cegielski said.
During the news conference, Alex’s mother called for a permanent memorial at the site of the deadly crash to remind pedestrians and drivers alike of the dangers of careless driving. She also called on Douglas County to do something “with that horrible intersection,” as she explained how cars zip by at 45 mph on a road that is near a school zone.
More urgently, however, Cegielski called on Douglas County officials to strengthen traffic penalties for those who break the law, asking that punishment for traffic-related offenses be elevated from misdemeanors to felonies.
“These people, our law enforcement, give them a law to enforce! Give them a strong law to enforce!” she said through tears. “Give them something to work with, not excuses.”
A caring, gifted athlete
Describing him as a kind, caring child that would buy lunch for his classmates or let them borrow his clothes, family members said Alex was a very popular kid who had a great personality and many friends. The 13-year-old boy loved a variety of sports, including snowboarding, dirt bike riding, and basketball before he settled on baseball.
“He was looking forward to his spring baseball season but did not get to make it to his first practice,” said Robert Mackiewicz, Alex’s father, who talked about how his son had just recently learned to bat with both hands and was looking forward to eventually becoming a professional MLB player.
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Elena, his older sister, described the young boy as someone who took an interest in his family’s affairs and was a smart kid who was “so dedicated to everything that he liked.”
If he was interested in something, she said, “he didn’t go halfway. He was hyper-focused and he was there until he knew everything there is to be known about something,” Elena said, adding he was a very empathetic, very sweet kid.
“My brother was everything that I wanted to be, despite the fact that he was younger,” Elena said, remembering him as a friend who is no longer there.
A fight to bring about “appropriate change in the state of Colorado”
Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly, who’s been sheriff for a little over a year, spoke during Thursday’s news conference about the need to make changes in the traffic code following Alex’s death.
When pressed about the problems at that intersection that witnesses have described as something that has been ongoing for years, the sheriff replied that since he's been sheriff, Douglas County has nearly doubled the size of the sheriff office's traffic unit.
"Our goal is voluntary compliance. But when that fails, you need enforcement. And people need to pay attention. And so we've made an emphasis on that on that since I have been the sheriff," he said.
Though he said he couldn’t go into much more detail, Weekly said his office would be working “side by side” with the Mackiewicz family “and fighting with them now and moving forward to bring about appropriate change in the state of Colorado.”
“What has happened to this family should not happen to any other families,” Weekly said. “My hope is during the next legislative session that we can bring about appropriate change. … They will never have the justice that they need, but Colorado needs to do better to protect victims and to protect families and to protect other people out there on the roadway.”
