Crash Victim Wants Car From Impound Lot To Settle Insurance Claim
DENVER (CBS4)- The Thursday before Memorial Day, George Journey's sister Virginia called him up and said she and their other sister wanted to go to Fort Logan National Cemetery in a few days to honor their deceased family members. She needed George to give them a ride.
"We went to Fort Logan Cemetery. We put flowers on my uncle's grave my step father's grave my mom's grave and another relative's grave," says Journey. "I had never ever seen her that happy."
After they finished, they decided to grab a bite to eat.
"Before we got in the car my sister grabbed me and she told me, 'George you're the best brother any sister could have, and I know sometimes I give you grief but I love you to death.' You know under the circumstances that just made me cry."
George was so emotional he had a hard time starting his car.
"And she said, 'What's wrong with you? Dry up, let's just go eat,'" George remembers with a smile.
On they went to lunch, but what happened next was unimaginable.
"We had just came up to the intersection of First and Knox," says Journey.
That's when a car driven by a suspected drunk driver that was running from the police slammed into his car.
"For the next five… seven… 10 minutes… I don't know what happened," says Journey. "When I came to, the car was spinning. The car hit something. The car stopped. I asked my sister Virginia, 'Are you okay?' and she didn't say anything. She just looked at me she rolled her eyes and she took her last breath and at that time I knew she was gone."
Gorge and their other sister were rushed to the hospital but Virginia died on scene.
George can't believe this happened to his family.
"We were minding our own business. We didn't ask for this to happen to us!"
Since the accident, George has been dealing with a lot. He is physically battered, but more so, he's emotionally scarred.
"It's not like I haven't sought help because I have."
But even that is proving to be difficult. Since his car is considered evidence, it is impounded indefinitely. He would like to get a new car, but his insurance won't settle the claim until police release it.
Victims' advocates have given him bus passes and offered him cab services, but he has a hard time using them because of his physical condition.
"I just want help in getting a car so I can get around to my appointments."
George knows it looks like he is just looking for a handout and he doesn't want that. What he does want is to start picking up the pieces of his shattered life and the key to that is reliable transportation.
"I want to get back to the things I was doing like volunteering… that would be my healing. To know something good could come out of her death."
The suspect driver who struck the George and his family has been arrested and faces vehicular homicide charges. He remains in custody.
Michael Abeyta is a 4th generation Coloradan and a Multimedia Journalist for CBS4. His stories can be seen on CBS4 News at 5 & 6. He is on Twitter! Follow him @AbeytaCBS4.