LITTLETON, Colo. (KDVR) — A family in Littleton is mourning the loss of a 12-year-old boy who was hit and killed while riding his bike back from Sonic on Friday, May 14.
Colorado State Patrol said Sean Stephenson was hit at the intersection of Ken Caryl and Chatfield by a 2011 Nissan Xterra. CSP stated Stephenson was heading north when the car, who had a green light, was heading eastbound and struck Sean.
“I don’t know why, I don’t know if he didn’t see her coming she had the green light and she hit him at 40 miles an hour,” Heather Stephenson, Sean’s mom said.
The driver of the Nissan was a 50-year-old woman along with an 18-year-old passenger. CSP said the driver stayed on scene and wasn’t cited.
“They said he died instantly. So he had no suffering which is good,” Heather said.
Heather and her husband Tom, along with her sons Joshua and Nicholas are still living through the nightmare of losing Sean.
“You never expect it, to lose a child. Never,” Tom said.
CSP stated Sean wasn’t wearing a helmet but Heather told FOX31 and Channel 2 that the coroner told her a helmet wouldn’t have saved her son in this accident.
Heather said she gave her son money to go to Sonic with his friends but told him he had to be home by 6:30 that night for dinner. The family sat down for dinner and after 10 minutes of Sean not showing up, Heather said in her gut she knew something was wrong.
Heather said she left the table and got in her car and started looking for him. Just about five minutes up Chatfield Avenue she saw several fire trucks and said she knew it was her son.
“I could see him lying in the street. I could see him with the white blanket. I could see his feet and his blonde hair,” Heather said.
Now the family is focusing on the wonderful memories they had with Sean. The family said Sean loved to play guitar, make YouTube videos and loved their family dogs.
The family hopes to see a change at this intersection because they’ve heard of multiple deaths at the location.
FOX31 and Channel 2 reached out to CSP to get exact numbers on how many deadly accidents have been at this intersection.
“Maybe this is his purpose in his death is to make a change. I can’t bring him back but he’s touched so many people,” Heather said.
Heather stated they will have Sean cremated so he can be with them. They are expecting to host a service that is open to the public because of all the support they have received from the community.
Friends of the Stephenson’s have set up a GoFundMe to help.