WASHINGTON (Map, News) -  The mother of a University of Maryland student killed in a collision with a Prince George’s County police officer is seeking $24 million in damages for the death of her son as she awaits the results of an overdue accident investigation.

 Early on Dec. 10, Mary Gray watched from behind as her son Brian Gray’s car was slammed by the cruiser driven by Officer Mario Chavez on a residential stretch of Bel Air Drive in Bowie.

 In a complaint filed in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Gray’s lawyers allege Chavez was driving “at a speed in excess of 40 miles per hour,” and struck the car “with such force that it pushed [Gray’s] vehicle more than 85 feet backwards” and spun it 180 degrees.

 Though Gray tried to resuscitate her son, the 20-year-old died at a hospital several hours later.

 “I still have to drive that way every day,” Gray said. “Every time I arrive at the intersection, I ask myself ‘How the hell did this happen?’ ”

 Although friends and family say they were first told results of an accident investigation would take six to eight weeks, they were later told holdups would push the results back to April 30, a date Gray had set as “a day of closure” but that passed with no word from investigators. 

 A spokeswoman for the police department could not describe the “technical issues” causing the delays, but said a completed investigation would be sent to State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey’s office by the end of May.

 “To police it’s another investigation, but to Mary Gray, every day is December 10,” said family friend Tom Ponton.

 Gray, who stressed her desire for justice over damages, laughed as she said she’s “thriving in the denial stage,” but became tearful describing her loss.

 “I light a candle for Brian every night. When it stays lit despite the wind, he’s telling me ‘It’s OK, Mama. I’m fine.’”

 lfabel@dcexaminer.com