“It Was Never Supposed to Be Us”: Thornton Motorcycle Crash Claims Lives of Devoted Father and Vibrant Daughter, Leaving a Colorado Mother Grieving and Pleading for Awareness
Thornton, Colorado — In a moment that shattered an entire world, what began as an ordinary Tuesday evening ride home from volleyball practice ended in unimaginable heartbreak. A deadly motorcycle crash in Thornton has left a Colorado mother, Devin Lopeman Cirbo, mourning the loss of her beloved husband and preparing to say goodbye to her 12-year-old daughter—both victims of a collision that forever changed her life.
On that night, Brian Cirbo, a retired firefighter and devoted father and stepfather, was riding his motorcycle with Devin’s daughter Brooklyn on the back. They were just returning from Brooklyn’s volleyball practice—something so routine, so familiar. Then, in a split second, everything changed. A 17-year-old driver in a BMW collided with the motorcycle near the intersection of 120th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard.
The crash was devastating. Brooklyn, who was wearing a helmet, suffered catastrophic brain swelling. Despite emergency CPR efforts on the scene, she was rushed to Children’s Hospital and placed on life support. Brian, though initially able to speak at the scene, succumbed to his injuries before Devin arrived at the hospital.
“Brooklyn wasn’t breathing and they did CPR, but Brian was able to talk and he kept telling the officers to call his wife,” Devin recalled tearfully. “By the time I got there, he was gone.”
Brooklyn has been fighting for her life since that night. But now, as days have passed and hopes dim, Devin is faced with the crushing decision to remove her daughter from life support.
“We’re working with Donor Alliance. They’re finding people that she can help, and we will be taking her off of life support in the next 24 hours,” Devin said through sobs. It is the kind of sentence no parent should ever have to utter.
For Devin, the grief is a tidal wave—unrelenting, unimaginable.
“There was so much joy. They were both complete joy,” she said. “I think that they couldn’t have survived losing each other. That’s why I lost them both.”
Brian Cirbo was more than a husband. He was a vibrant, compassionate man who brought warmth and laughter wherever he went. A proud firefighter, a dancer, a singer, and a true family man, Brian embraced fatherhood with an open heart. He welcomed Devin’s children as his own, cheering them on in every endeavor.
“He was everybody’s biggest fan,” Devin shared. “Having his kids was the light of his life.”
Brooklyn, only 12, was a bright, funny, and spirited young girl who lit up every room. She loved volleyball and her teammates, many of whom witnessed the aftermath of the crash. Her smile, Devin said, “was the most amazing thing you’d ever see.”
“She just has the most amazing soul,” Devin added. “We were supposed to have a whole life still—and now it’s gone.”
The teenage driver who struck them has been arrested on suspicion of careless driving resulting in death but was later released pending the results of an ongoing investigation, including accident reconstruction. Devin, though grappling with unfathomable grief, has found it in herself to express a kind of forgiveness.
“I know that the kid who hit them didn’t set out to destroy my family,” she said. “But he didn’t see them. And the only way he didn’t see them is because he didn’t look. People have to look for bikes.”
Her words are not born out of anger but out of a desperate plea—one that she hopes will prevent another family from experiencing this kind of heartbreak.
In the wake of this tragedy, the outpouring of love from friends, family, and the community has been a small light amid the darkness. Brian’s brothers in law enforcement and the motorcycle community have rallied around Devin, as have Brooklyn’s teammates and their families. Crowdfunding efforts are underway to support the family during this deeply painful time.
“We’ve lost friends riding. It happens all the time,” Devin said. “But it was never supposed to be us.”
Now, with a heart shattered into pieces, Devin Lopeman Cirbo is not just saying goodbye—she is carrying the weight of two lives that meant everything to her. But even in her grief, she’s asking the world to be more careful, to pay more attention, and to remember that behind every set of headlights, there is a family, a future, and a story that should never be cut short.
As the investigation continues, one thing is already painfully clear: two beautiful souls are gone far too soon, and a loving wife and mother is left holding onto memories—and a mission to make their loss mean something more.