At 13 years old, Frances "Margay" Schee lived every moment to the fullest. She was a gifted honors student, cheerleader, band member, and animal shelter volunteer. And as she skateboarded and surfed near her Florida home, Margay dreamed of the day she'd become an airline pilot, criss-crossing the globe.
That day would never come.
Since the launch of our "Faces of Distracted Driving" series on Tuesday, thousands of people have shared Margay's story with someone they love. I hope you'll do the same.
On September 23, 2008, a semi-truck slammed into the back of Margay's school bus while it was stopped on U.S. 301 in Citra, Florida. The impact of the crash pushed the bus and truck more than 200 feet before both vehicles burst into flames.
Four passing motorists immediately stopped to help. They began pulling the driver and students from the wreckage. But Margay was trapped under a seat, unable to move. And as smoke and heat overwhelmed the volunteer rescuers, they were forced to abandon their efforts. She burned to death in the fire.
The truck driver admitted he was fatigued and talking on his phone at the time of the accident. He said he never even saw the school bus in front of him.
For the Schee family, the loss was unthinkable. "A big part of me died with Margay," her mother Elissa said. "It's just taking your world full of color and then... everything is gray. I can't even say it's black and white. It's just gray. It's ugly."
Elissa has devoted herself to raising awareness about the dangers of cell phone use behind the wheel. She believes sharing her story will help keep other families from suffering similar losses.
"I ask that people, if they feel the urge to pick up their phone while they're driving their vehicle, they'll think about Margay laying on the bottom of a school bus."
If you have a distracted driving experience you'd like to share, post a video on YouTube and email a link to faces@distraction.gov.
I have to say that this breaks my heart. I am glad that we placed laws against the use of cellphones while driving here in Ontario, Canada. However, we still have along way to go in enforcing those laws.
Posted by: Massive Passive Profits Review | November 19, 2010 at 04:07 PM
What a heartbreaking story. That poor girl, and her poor family. I will share this story. People have got to pay attention while driving.
Thank you.
Posted by: User Reviews | November 20, 2010 at 08:37 PM
A freakin' TICKET for a homicide? Good grief. I wonder how fast the law would change if one of those elected representatives 5-year old son was killed by a horrid rear-end accident caused by a speeding, distracted driver?
Posted by: Шкаф купе | November 23, 2010 at 03:34 PM
I've been in taxis, tow trucks and other commercial vehicles where the driver was not just talking on the phone but often texting or looking up complex information. I understand the need to program directions into the GPS before we start, but while you're on the freeway it's a little dangerous. What can we do, as passengers of these vehicles to protest these actions? A national hotline or even a guarantee of a more local one to call would be great, or even a law with severe penalties for these drivers or their companies that often encourage the behavior by requiring them to fill out a lot of paperwork while on the road.
Posted by: brian g | November 24, 2010 at 07:13 AM
The senseless loss of this beautiful little girl is literally sickening. I think we need more reality-checks like this: show the horror of what actually happens to SURVIVORS in accidents caused by distracted driving. Graphic photos or interviews of crash victims showing the horrific effects of these crashes may be an even stronger wake-up call. You may think that the accident burn victims amputees and paraplegics would be too drastic for public view but it a)would give them a voice, and b)might make the danger more real for people AND realize it could happen to them. (I had a cousin who was killed by a drunk driver, leaving a wife and two little girls behind in 1988.)
Posted by: Kate Fox | November 24, 2010 at 10:00 AM
This is very sad, my heart goes out to the family. A similar thing happened to two young men I went to high school with, but the driver of the two was texting and stuck in traffic, then they went under a semi, which dragged them and they both were killed. People really should learn from accidents like these and STOP using their cellphones until they are parked or have another passenger use it for them.
Posted by: Britt Lee | December 06, 2010 at 03:48 PM
Wake up DOT, do read these replies? Do something other than taking tax money from offenders.
Why can't I send a commnet to you from the "distracted drivers" page? I do not wat to tweet you or be a fan of your facebook. All I want to do is make you aware of a new feature on the new BMW Mini car.
It will allow you to Tweet, Facebook, Text and probably surf the net while driving.
How can this happen? Be proactive! Stop the maddness.
Posted by: John Muehling | December 26, 2010 at 06:27 AM
It saddens me because I drive very carefully on the road. I make it a point to be a responsible driver so that I make myself and the other people on the road safe. But there are people who does not take this into consideration. My thoughts and prayers for the family of Margay.
Posted by: Carol | April 13, 2011 at 01:27 PM