AURORA, Colo. — The mother of a 12-year-old girl who died after she was struck by a pickup truck says she forgives the driver who hit her daughter.
Jenna Solomon is being remembered for her faith and love for life. Her mother, Denise Heckel, said Solomon had a tender heart for others.
“She cared about everyone she came across. Whether it was a baby or great grandmother, she loved everyone. She loved art, she loved dance, she loved to sing.”
Solomon was a student at Prairie Middle School. On Feb. 5, the seventh grader was trying to cross East Iliff Avenue and South Vaughn Way around 8 a.m. when she was struck by pickup truck.
Solomon did not use a crosswalk and stepped off the median and into traffic, according to a police statement.
Heckel said she remembers sharing a moment with her daughter before she left for school to meet friends.
“She ran up to me and gave me a hug," Heckel recalled. "Kissed her on the top of the head and told her how much I love her."
Heckel tells 9NEWS that she was notified by police shortly after she arrived at work.
“They called us and just said that she had been in an accident and she was at the hospital and to get there as soon as possible.”
The family said Solomon was taken to The Medical Center of Aurora to be stabilized before she was transported to Children's Hospital Colorado with critical injuries.
“When I got to the hospital she was already in surgery. It's pretty scary when you see your daughter come out of surgery and there is these easily 10 to 15 people around her to transport her to an ambulance. They gave me a chance to kiss her and tell her how much I love her.”
Solomon was in the pediatric ICU for four days and showing no signs of brain activity. The family made the difficult decision to take her off life-support and donate her organs.
“I know if she was here she would say 'I’m sorry, Mommy.' But she loves life. And for her she would be so happy to know that she saved people’s lives.”
Police said there was no evidence that speed or other factors contributed to the crash. The driver of the pickup has been cooperative, police said.
The driver of the truck and another witness both stopped, called for help and rendered aid.
Heckel said the family does not hold the driver at fault.
“We know that it was an accident that it was a fluke,” Heckel said.
“He’s going to have to live with the fact of that happening the rest of his life and we want him to know that we are here for him. That we are not angry with him. There’s nothing we can do about what happened now. And we’re sorry it was him.”
Solomon’s family would like to see a pedestrian bridge or a crosswalk at Iliff Avenue and Vaughn Way. Heckel said dozens of children cross at the intersection of the busy roadway to get to school.
“Recently the speed limit has been raised on IIiff, I don’t know when. It’s now 45. When you consider that most people drive 5 to 10 over the speed limit. You’re basically looking at highway speeds on a road that a lot of kids cross,” Heckel said.
“I don’t expect any instantaneous changes, but I do know that changes need to be made. I just don’t know what the right change is.”
A celebration of Jenna's life will be held on Feb. 16 at 1 p.m. at Citypoint Church in Denver. The family said it’s open to the public.
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