SAN DIEGO — Laura Keenan lost her husband, Matt, after he was hit and killed by a wrong-way driver in Mission Valley in September of 2021. Laura is now calling for stiffer penalties for drivers who kill.
"The foundation I thought I stood on just crumbled. I found myself a solo parent to a 15-month-old son, and I was in disbelief, really," Laura shared. "20 minutes after leaving our house, a wrong-way driver drove the length of a football field going the wrong direction, crossed into the bike lane, and hit Matt head-on."
Laura said their young family lost an anchor. "He was one of the most passionate people I've ever met. He made me want to say yes to everything. He lived life to the fullest. Matt is missing so much. My son is two and a half, and he's a different person now. He's talking in sentences."
Despite Laura’s grief, she has been fighting for change in San Diego’s bicycle laws. Next week, the driver in Matt's crash will be sentenced for vehicular manslaughter. "Drivers who kill rarely face real punishment,” Laura said. "It was 100 percent her fault, he did everything he could to protect himself, but he didn't have a chance against her."
We reached out to the driver's attorney, who didn't go on camera but said the driver works with kids with special needs, has a clean record, and maintains the crash was an accident.
Laura said this crash could have been prevented and believes stiffer penalties for drivers will help. "We need to keep everyone safe on our roads. This could happen to anybody. I am working hard to drive change so that, hopefully, another family will have a better outcome than us."
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