Number	17969
Subject	Transportation
Source	Westword (Denver)
State	CO
Year	2001
Publication Date	April 19 - 25
Summary	Fatalities and car accidents are up dramatically in the Denver metro area. This article details the circumstances surrounding the death of a young girl who, with her family, was killed at a crosswalk on Colfax Avenue. A car ran a red light -- and struck the family of four. A local radio station raised $30,000 for the family to help bury daughter Alexis and to be set aside for the family. The mother spent most of the money on a car and set aside just $2,000 apiece for her other children. The family remains angry about the incident and considered suing the perpetrator, Shelia Towns, but decided against it because she has no wealth. Towns claims she split because she'd had a few drinks before the incident and was worried about going to jail. As it is, she will spend 18 months in jail, followed by rehab and a 12-year suspended sentence.
Category	General
Pages	7
Keywords	Wellington Webb;traffic fatalities;radio stations;charity drives;traffic planning;traffic light timing;the grid system;Denver Police Department;Mother's Day;Douglas County;violations;ticket prices;Colorado Department of Transportation;point system
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