GOLDEN, Colo -- Law enforcement agencies from around the state will gather at the Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial Friday to remember those killed in the line of duty in 2016.
Colorado State Patrol Trooper Cody Donahue will be among those remembered at the ceremony. Nearly six months ago, Donahue was hit and killed by a semi-truck on Interstate 25 outside of Castle Rock. Donahue was investigating an unrelated accident when he was hit.
One by one, the memories of Donahue are hung up on the wall at his home. His wife, Velma, has her favorite.
"It's the very last photo we had together as a family. I would have never thought that would be the case," said Velma, pointing to a picture of the couple and their two children.
Velma has been staying busy. She has been working to push for a harsher punishment when drivers fail to move over a lane when passing first responders. A bill titled "Move Over for Cody Act" passed the House and Senate. The bill is waiting to get signed by the governor.
"This is something that we felt we needed to be done right away," said Velma. "I wouldn't want anything like this to happen to someone else, but at least the penalty for something like this are far stricter."
Under current law, anyone who fails to move over and fatally injures an officer can get charged with misdemeanor careless driving, which is punishable to up to one year in jail. The new bill upgrades that charge to a class six felony, punishable by one year to 18 months behind bars.
Velma said she's noticed more people moving over since the campaign started, but some isn't enough.
“It gets me really angry. It's such a simple step to do -- slow down or move over!" said Velma.
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