(COLORADO SPRINGS) — It’s been more than one year since a Colorado Springs mother faced the tragedy of losing her son in a motorcycle accident on a road that has concerned neighbors for 15 years. But now, that road is finally on the path to redemption.

A flood of emotions surged through Cassandra Marlow when she received the long-awaited news that the sewage dips on Palmer Park Boulevard, between Powers and Peterson Road, were slated for repairs.

For her, this development represents far more than a mere fix for the troublesome dips. It’s a poignant sign that her beloved son, Jaedon Hartley, did not leave this world in vain.

Hartley’s tragic incident unfolded in April 2022 when he was just 20 years old. He was in the Air Force and on the cusp of beginning his college journey.

The scene of the accident is etched indelibly in his mother’s memory, as she had been driving on the very same road mere minutes after Jaedon’s devastating crash.

“I didn’t realize it was him until I saw his shoes and I saw the bike. So I slammed on the brakes. I was screaming over there on that side of the road… I still kept trying to think, ‘No, this has to be somebody else. It can’t be him,'” Marlow recalled.

Witnesses at the scene told her that Hartley lost control of his motorcycle on the perilous sewage dips further up the road before tragically colliding with a curb. Despite wearing a helmet that day, it proved insufficient to shield him from the cruel hand of fate.

The remnants of that heartbreaking day are still visible on the road, with dark tire marks on the curb serving as a haunting reminder. Hartley’s untimely departure has left his mother grappling with profound grief, and recurring moments of distress triggered by similar accidents.

“I’ve come across two motorcycle wrecks that kind of put me in a PTSD moment where I got out of the car and started running to the scene and realized, ‘What am I doing? It’s not my son.’ But those two motorcycle riders survived, and I swear it’s him. I really believe it’s him,'” Marlow said.

The conviction that her son’s life had a greater purpose is what fuels Marlow’s unwavering resolve. For the past year and a half, she has been a tireless advocate, protesting and pleading with El Paso County Public Works to repair the hazardous road, to prevent future tragedies.

“I believe my son would have taken that hit to fix that road behind me, so nobody else has to suffer… And that’s what’s kept me going this whole time,” Marlow declared with determination.

Finally, the breakthrough arrived in late August when El Paso County Public Works confirmed that the road is set for much-needed repairs. Marlow’s joy was palpable as she received the news she had been waiting for.

“That day was like the best day of my life… because I just thought, ‘Wow, they’re going to do it…’ It’s like, that’s all I’ve been waiting for,” she reflected with a sense of vindication.

In a statement, El Paso County Public Works said in part, “We would like to express our deepest condolences to those affected by this tragic incident… This work is part of our routine maintenance and upgrade activities aimed at ensuring road safety.”

El Paso County Public Works told Marlow they would start the design in December and begin construction the following spring.

Now, Marlow hopes that her son’s memorial will serve as a poignant reminder to all motorists on this once treacherous road.

“Slow down a little bit. Slow down. I know everybody wants to see what their bikes can do, but it’s too unsafe here… That’s just the most important thing. Not letting Jaedon’s death be for nothing,” said Marlow.

Marlow has set up a foundation in his honor that commemorates his work as a beekeeper: Jaedon Hartley Beekeepers Foundation (jhbeekeepersfoundation.org)

Tune into FOX21 on Monday at 9 and 10 for continued coverage of this story.