HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. — The family of Alexander "Alex" Mackiewicz, the teen who was struck and killed on his way to school earlier this month, is speaking out for the first time since his death.
His mother, Victoria Cegielski, invited Denver7 into their home and expressed gratitude to the thousands of people she said have been reaching out during this unimaginable time.
"It’s a lot, when you see everybody unites and does something to ease your pain at least a little bit... the support we received is humongous," she said.
Her son's room is overflowing with donations, including flowers and cards that she said they've received from the community.
"Every single card we receive, we read them," she said, adding that she keeps the door closed most of the day.
Mackiewicz, 13, was riding his OneWheel (a single-wheel electric skateboard) just before 7 a.m. on March 6 when a driver struck and killed him as he was crossing the intersection of Venneford Ranch Road and Highlands Ranch Parkway.
During a news conference Thursday, Cegielski said she wanted a memorial to be built in her son's honor. She's also working with the Douglas County Sheriff's office to make the intersection safer and intends to address the Colorado State legislature about tougher penalties for careless drivers later this year.
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"It's blowing my mind that there’s no justice, that’s what I’m going to be fighting for," she said.
Ruben Morones, 52, was arrested on March 13 in connection with Max's death. He is accused of careless driving causing death, careless driving causing serious bodily injury to a vulnerable road user and failure to obey a traffic control signal.
