WESTMINSTER - All that's left at the intersection of 118th Place and Sheridan Boulevard are pain and questions for Gail Parrish. Early Saturday morning, her 21-year-old daughter was killed when police say a drunk driver ran a red light.
"She didn't deserve it," said Parrish. "She's beautiful. She lit up the room. She was such a good friend to everybody."
Jenna Breen was coming home from working the late shift as a waitress. She had just had breakfast with a friend when police say 25-year-old Viet Nguyen hit her car so hard she was ejected and killed on the spot.
"She didn't deserve this and now I'm getting some facts and I'm getting angry," said Parrish.
Police say after the crash, Nguyen and his passenger ran away from the scene. Witnesses directed police who used a K-9 dog to track down Nguyen hiding in some bushes nearby. The passenger was caught as well.
"They ran. They absolutely had no regard for my daughter, who she was, anything," said Parrish.
Parrish cannot understand why Nguyen was behind the wheel. He has had three arrests for DUIs since 2006. His license was revoked from the last arrest, according to Westminster Police. Nguyen's record shows he's also had convictions for receiving stolen property, drug dealing, drug possession, theft, and disorderly conduct.
"I think they should throw away the key," said Parrish. "Obviously, he doesn't respect the law."
Nguyen now faces a list of more charges including vehicular homicide. He is being held in the Adams County jail.
"One day he'll get out of jail. Jenna won't ever be back," said Jake DeHerrera, Parrish's boyfriend.
Now, Parrish will have to face life without her daughter, without a woman who was extremely close to her older brother, Scott.
"She's not going to experience being a mom," said Parrish. "I'm not going to watch my daughter get married or grow up or do some of the things that she wanted to do."
She says Breen was planning on doing some traveling with her best friend before returning to college to pursue a career as a medical assistant.
"My daughter did not deserve to die," said Parrish. "She didn't deserve this. This was not her fault."
(KUSA-TV © 2012 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)