Xcel apologizes after calls to family of deceased CU quarterback over crash-related damage
After losing her son in a DUI crash, Catrina Hughes faces renewed grief when a call from a utility company mistakenly asks for payment for damage he caused.
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — More than three months after former University of Colorado Boulder quarterback Dominiq Ponder was killed in a drunk-driving crash, his mother says an unexpected phone call reopened painful wounds.
Catrina Hughes said she recently received a voicemail from a company working on behalf of Xcel Energy regarding a utility pole damaged in the March 1 crash that killed her son.
The voicemail left her stunned.
“You don’t call a parent for their deceased son and leave a message for him, especially a collection agency,” she said. “It’s just a little sick.”
According to Hughes, the voicemail was seeking information about payment for the utility pole damaged when Ponder crashed through a guardrail and struck it.
“I said, ‘Well, Dominiq’s not going to be doing much of anything because, you know, he’s not here,’” she said.
Xcel apologized and said it was a mistake.
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