University of Maryland junior lost in an auto accident

In what has become an all-too-familiar story, a young man lost his life this week in an auto accident. What sets this story apart is the young man himself. Brain Gray was a junior at the University of Maryland, and his goal was to become an officer in the Prince George’s County Police Department. Ironically, it was a police cruiser driven by an off-duty officer that took his life.  

Brian left his home just after 7:00 on Monday morning and paused at the stop sign at the busy corner of Belair Drive and Beaverdale Lane. His mother, Mary, was in her car just behind him. As Brian pulled out to make a left turn, he was struck on the driver’s side head-on by the police cruiser. Mary rushed to her son, fearing the worst, and held him as he struggled for life. Transported to Prince George’s County Hospital, Brian did not survive.  

It is sad when any young life is cut short, but Brian was an exceptional young man to those who knew him. He had worked at T.J. Elliott’s Restaurant since starting as a busboy when he was 14, and had risen to assistant manager while in college. Owner Jimmy Marcos remembers Brian’s positive attitude, his popularity, and his ability to make employees around him feel good, too. One of Brian’s coworkers remembers him as someone who was “…always making you laugh…” and who “…always had a smile on his face.” 

A memorial to Brian has grown at the accident site with flowers and mementos. And now, thanks to the thoughtfulness of his mother even as she grieves for her son, Brian’s positive legacy will live on through organ donation. “He had a smile and eyes that will live on forever,” she said. “I wanted to donate his eyes because I want to walk down the street someday and see them — they sparkle blue and green.” 

While the investigation of the accident continues, and questions swirl around the cause, the Gray family focuses on remembering Brian and finding some small solace in believing he is not alone. Seven years ago, his father died of a brain tumor; now, Mary believes that father and son are together again.  

As friends and family seek comfort, one comment to an online news story in the Examiner seems to sum it up best:  “This young man truly was one of the good guys, and I suppose that’s what really hurts the most.”

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