Fellow Troopers Remember Fallen Colleague, Promise To Keep Her Memory Alive
CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (CBS4)- Colleagues of fallen Colorado State Patrol Trooper Jaimie Jursevics say this is a devastating time for them but are determined to honor her in the way she deserves.
"We don't have a lot of women in the state patrol and it takes a very special person to choose this career," said Colorado State Patrol Sgt. Rob Madden. "Not only did she choose it, she excelled at it."
Madden should know, he was one of Jursevics' training officers at the academy for 22 weeks. He says Jaimie was tough and had a bright future.
"To know that she was not going to be able to continue on and fulfill what was starting out as an amazing career is tough to think about," said Madden.
Jursevics was struck by a car just before 9 p.m. Sunday. She had been assisting another trooper on the scene of an accident at Interstate 25 and Tomah Road.
State patrol says Jursevics was outside her car, talking on the phone to a motorist nearby who had reported a suspected drunk driver heading her way. The person on the line says the trooper tried to use a flashlight to pull the suspect over, but was struck and killed by that vehicle, which left the scene. The person heard her scream, then saw her flashlight fly in the air. Four miles later, Palmer Lake Police arrested retired Army Colonel Eric Henderson.
Jursevics did not survive.
It's tough for her colleagues to know that Jaimie won't be going home to her husband or her young daughter.
When asked what they want her little girl to snow about the support of the CSP, Madden replied, "She does have another family... The more we can do to honor Jaimie now and have those memories and to document them and have conversations so when the time is appropriate, we can say, 'Look at what an amazing woman your mom was.'"
Earlier this week hundreds of law enforcement across Colorado gathered along Interstate 70 to honor Jaimie's family as they drove to Colorado from Utah.
"There is nothing that is going to bring her back," said Madden. "To let them know how much we respect her... heck, yeah, you're going to see us out there for hours and days."
