Gov. Jared Polis this year signed a bill that requires minors to obtain parental consent for a motorcycle instruction permit — legislation inspired by a young man who almost died in a crash last year.

The measure, House Bill 26-1079, sailed through the House and Senate with unanimous support in both chambers and all committees during the 2026 session, following an emotional initial committee hearing. At the time legislators advanced the legislation, they did not know all the details of the crash that inspired the proposal.

HB 1079 goes into effect on Aug. 12.

When the bill was introduced, lawmakers rallied around its sponsor, Rep. Brandi Bradley, during a House Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee hearing.

That young man is the son of Bradley, a Republican from Roxborough Park.

Michael Cole Bradley, 19, had testified about the Sept. 11, 2025, motorcycle crash that nearly killed him.

At times tearful, Rep. Bradley described it as the worst night of her life, recounting how a hospital chaplain urged her to come immediately and how doctors were unsure her son would survive. Her son had suffered 25 fractures and severe internal injuries. The legislator had documented her son’s plight and her struggles on social media.

Cole, who was 18 at the time of the crash, told lawmakers he had secretly obtained a motorcycle license and purchased a bike out of state without his parents’ knowledge.

He said the accident happened on one of his first rides. He argued that minors should not be able to get a motorcycle permit without parental consent.

“Parents know what is best for their children,” he said, adding that the bill would save lives.

The measure, in fact, would not have applied to Cole since he was not a minor at the time of the accident.

Lawmakers did not know the full details of the crash surrounding Cole Bradley when they passed the legislation.

Colorado Politics asked Bradley, the legislator, on June 15 why she did not tell her colleagues in either the House or Senate about her son’s interactions with the sheriff’s department, given that the bill was tied to a motor vehicle issue.

Bradley did not respond to multiple requests for comments. Efforts to reach her son were unsuccessful.

Neither Bradley nor her son disclosed that the crash was caused by Cole, who “T‑boned” an RV while driving an estimated 72 mph in a 45‑mph zone, according to the police report. He was later charged with reckless driving and failure to provide proof of insurance, according to records. The charges were dismissed under a plea agreement; no other information was available.

Details of the crash were obtained via a 71‑page Douglas County Sheriff’s Office report, which also showed that Bradley, the legislator, tried to persuade officers at the hospital that her son was not at fault.

According to the accident report, two Douglas County sheriff’s deputies visited the Bradleys at the hospital on Sept. 20 to deliver a summons to Cole Bradley.

Bradley and her husband met the officers at the door to the intensive care unit and told them they couldn’t talk to their son.

“Deputy Novitskiy explained to them we needed to issue him a summons for the accident,” the report said.

The deputy asked whether the Bradleys wanted to be in the room during the explanation of the summons, and at that time Bradley told them they were not going into the room, the report said.

“His parents seemed to be upset with the summons and saying that it was the other driver’s fault for turning in front of Michael before the accident and questioned the accuracy of the investigation. Deputy Novitskiy explained the findings of the crash investigation to them, and they said they would be getting an attorney,” the report added.

The report said the summons was handed to Rep. Bradley and her husband.

Douglas County records showed five separate encounters between Cole Bradley and law enforcement over a 20‑month period.

Three months after the motorcycle crash, in which he almost died, Cole Bradley was arrested for driving 95 mph in a 55‑mph zone on South Santa Fe Drive — his fourth interaction with Douglas County deputies in 2025. He was also charged with driving under restraint (driving with a suspended license) and driving without a valid license. He pleaded guilty to the speeding charge and was fined $482.50. The other charges were dismissed.

The resolution in the most recent case took place on March 31, 2026, the day before the bill was heard by the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee, which advanced HB 1079 to the full Senate.

His earlier incidents included:

• Feb. 25, 2025: Ticketed for careless driving, which carried a $169.50 penalty, according to the ticket. The ticket was issued at an address listed for Thunder Ridge High School. Cole Bradley later pleaded guilty to a second charge of “unsafe backing” and was fined $75.50 in court costs, according to a Douglas County court record.
• April 6, 2024: Stopped for driving 69 mph in a 45‑mph zone on East Wildcat Reserve Parkway and for having unauthorized passengers. Those charges were dismissed two months later, according to the court record.

On July 23, Bradley posted a video on Facebook regarding the story. While not accepting fault for the motorcycle crash, she explained he is taking responsibility for the speeding incident last December. She said the bill was intended to close a loophole that would allow minors to obtain motorcycle permits without parental consent.

While legislative leaders told Colorado Politics they were unaware of Cole Bradley’s driving history when HB 1079 moved through the Capitol, the governor’s office did.

In a statement, a Polis spokesman said, “Gov. Polis believes this law will protect Coloradans on the road and prevent dangerous and deadly accidents. He doesn’t have a position on the naming of the bill or why it was named, as that is squarely a legislative decision. Vetoing the bill — regardless of who it is named after — would leave roads and teenagers less safe.”