WALKER, Mich. — Parents of a teen killed while texting and driving are making it their mission to educate others about the dangers of the potentially deadly combination.
The Freyblers, along with volunteers, spent Saturday afternoon giving back to the community to keep their son's memory alive. The family is also fighting to toughen the state's distracted driving laws.
“Everyone treats these cell phones today like a drug — everyone has one," said Jim Freybler. "The problem is everybody’s using it while they’re driving.”
Freybler's son, Jacob, was 17 years old when he was killed in June 2014. The Kenowa Hills High junior was texting while driving when police say he crossed the center line, hitting an SUV head-on.
The teen had sent two text messages just minutes before the crash. His phone was found in his lap.
"The problem is nobody cares," Freybler told FOX 17 on Saturday. "You know, it’s not going to happen to them, they’re in too much of a hurry and that’s when we start losing lives."
Following their son's death, the Freyblers adopted a stretch of road—Bristol Avenue NW between 3 Mile and 4 Mile Road in Walker—in Jacob's honor. They now meet regularly with volunteers to clean up the trash along the road.
"He probably drove this road everyday, probably to school," said a family friend who was volunteering to help Jacob's parents pick up trash Saturday.
"It's just still hard to believe he’s gone for something that shouldn’t have happened."
Jacob's parents have spent the time since their son's death trying to channel their pain into purpose. They now speak regularly about distracted driving during driver's education classes and travel to schools statewide for presentations with students and their parents.
Their fight has even made it to the state capitol where lawmakers recently introduced legislation to strengthen Michigan's distracted driving law, known as Kelsey's Law. The proposal would make having a cellphone in your hand a primary offense, meaning a police officer could stop a driver if a cellphone is spotted in the driver's hand.
Freybler said punishment would include fines and points on an individual's license.
>> MORE: Read MI HB 4466 here.
"It’s costing lives… and if we can save one or two lives in our son’s place then we’ve done our job," Freybler said.
The bill has been referred to a committee. A hearing has not yet been scheduled.
