Faces of Distracted Driving: Heather Lerch, 19 "All taken away by a conversation that could have waited"

Like many 19-year-olds, Heather Lerch of Rochester, WA, had plans. She was a first-year student at Centralia College, hoping to pursue a career in forensics and criminal justice. She had just celebrated a birthday; she had bought a car; she had an address book full of friends in her cell phone.

On February 23, 2010, the text messages that she often exchanged with those friends cost her crucial seconds of attention to the road.  While driving home from work as she had done hundreds of times, Heather approached a bend in the road. But she was texting, saw the bend too late, and crashed through the guardrail. Heather was killed instantly.

“I had seen her earlier, before she left for work,” says Heather’s father, Dan Lerch. “I told her to have a great day. That I loved her. And I never saw her again.”

 

To help others learn about the dangers of distracted driving, the Washington State Department of Licensing, together with Heather’s parents, Dan and Wendy, produced a video and submitted it to our “Faces of Distracted Driving” series.

Their story is a powerful reminder that no text or call is worth the risk of losing your life or causing someone else’s death. As Wendy Lerch said, “Heather had so much more of this life to live, but it was all taken away by a conversation that could have waited.”

Recording this video was obviously very painful for Dan and Wendy, and I can’t thank them enough. I hope that everyone who hears their story will remember to keep their eyes on the road, their hands on the wheel, and their focus on driving.

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.

Comments

[Chris Marsh]

I sure hope some nice young woman doesn't crash into me while texting.

yada yada yada OMG I was in a crash
Uh oh the old man has a cam and is photoing the wreck for his ins co. I'm so busted
he's like old enough to be my dad

[Chris Marsh]

(It is a good idea to keep a cheap digital camera in the glove box. You can get one at Target with a view screen for under $30. But then I got a Verizon phone (with a camera) so I could be telephoned at work inside East Building and then I was sorry I did.)

[John]

This is so sad. I am so sorry for their loss.

I am glad you are taking steps to combat this serious issue that is causing so many deaths and injuries across our country.

[Chris Marsh]

Why don't they confiscate the electronic devices of drivers found guilty?

[reverse phone lookup]

This is really sad :-(