A 45-year-old Parker man who suffered severe brain injuries when he crashed during a weekend charity motorcycle procession is in a coma, his family says.
Jeffrey K. Smith — a single father of a 7-year-old boy who turns 8 on Sunday — is being treated at Swedish Medical Center, said Smith’s mother, Susan. He is in critical condition.
“Jeff is holding on. He’s having a few problems, but we are hoping he will get through it,” his mother said. “Brain damage is difficult to come up with a prognosis. There is really no way of telling how long he will be in a coma.”
Smith, who has ridden for several years in the Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson annual Children’s Hospital Toy Run, lost control of his motorcycle Sunday and was thrown from it while riding to Children’s.
The Toy Run brings thousands of toys to sick and injured children at Children’s Hospital each year.
The accident happened on northbound Interstate 25, just north of East Arapahoe Road, at about noon. No other riders or motorists were involved.
Smith was not wearing a helmet, according to police.
Jeffrey Smith has a small jewelry business called Amazing Jewelry that has a motorcycle theme, his mother said.
“He was a big-hearted person,” Susan Smith said. “He loved the motorcycle life.”
Every year, he went to the Sturgis, S.D., bike rally to see friends and sell his jewelry, she said.
She said he has a lot of friends and that they have been calling every day to find out how he is doing. But she said he needs rest more than anything and asks that people not call for him at the hospital.
“We do appreciate the concern,” Susan Smith said. “But right now, he needs quiet.”
Jeffrey Smith’s friends are planning fundraisers for his son, Susan Smith said. The boy is being well cared for at her house, she said.
Friends and fellow riders concerned about Smith’s condition may listen to a recording at 303-788-5600. The hospital will update the recording as there is new information.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
