WEEK OF MARCH 14, 2024
VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 14
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Mournful vigil held for student killed in Highlands Ranch Parkway crash
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BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Hundreds of people gathered around the family of 13-year-old Alex Mackiewicz the night of March 7 at a candlelight vigil by the side of Highlands Ranch Parkway. Only a day earlier the boy had been struck and killed by a car. “It’s very hard for me to come here today and face so many people, but something has to change and maybe it starts with my son’s death,” said Mackiewicz’s mother, Victoria. Amid the sounds of Mackiewicz’s family and friends — including children and young teens weeping and holding onto one another — people took turns sharing how much Alex meant to them. Fellow students came up and spoke to his humorous, fun side, prompting laughter, and praising him as a classmate. His mother made a plea to parents to make a difference in kids’ safety and pedestrians. “Moms of Colorado, dads of Colorado, I want you to use my son’s name,” said Victoria. “I am going to start talking on behalf of my son and make some kind of change.” The memorial continued to grow as the night went on. Balloons, flowers, stuffed animals, photos, candles and signs with touching messages were piled onto one another. Chalk was provided to encourage people to express their condolences. Mackiewicz’s death adds to a tragic trend – a dramatic rise in pedestrian deaths across Colorado, up by 155% in 2023 compared to a decade ago, according to data from state transportation officials. The Mountain Ridge Middle School seventh-grader was crossing SEE VIGIL, P8
SUPERINTENDENT HONORED FOR ADVOCACY
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NOMINATE OUTSTANDING YOUNG PEOPLE FOR HONORS
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BEST OF THE BEST VOTE NOW – APRIL 15
A memorial for Mountain Ridge Middle School seventh-grader Alex Mackiewicz was set up on Highlands Ranch Parkway, near Venneford Ranch Road. Mackiewicz was crossing the intersection the morning of March 6 when he was fatally struck by a vehicle going PHOTO BY HALEY LENA eastbound on Highlands Ranch Parkway.
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