From the time she was a little girl, Heather Hurd loved Disney World. She first visited at the age of five and immediately swore that one day she'd live in Orlando and work at the park.
Twenty-one years later, she was living her dream. She worked in the Magic Kingdom, and even got engaged there. And on January 3, 2008, Heather and her fiancée Patrick were set to have their first meeting with a Disney wedding planner to discuss their dream ceremony.
But on the way to their appointment, tragedy struck. A tractor-trailer traveling at 65 miles per hour hit Heather's car--and eight others--while they were stopped at a red light. Patrick was critically injured in the crash. Heather died at the scene.
The truck driver, who was texting with his company at the time of the crash, never applied his brakes.
The sudden loss of their daughter--at a time when it seemed her entire future lay ahead of her--was almost impossible for Russell and Kim Hurd to bear.
"You hate to think about the future. I have a hard time with the future," Kim said. "I have a hard time making new memories, and it’s hard to make plans for future events because Heather can’t be there."
Russell and Kim hope that by speaking out about the dangers of distracted driving, other families will never have to experience the kind of senseless loss that tore their family apart. In 2009, they successfully lobbied for the passage of "Heather's Law," which prohibits drivers in their home state of Maryland from texting behind the wheel. They hope to see similar legislation passed in Florida.
And today, their Faces of Distracted Driving video is being released as part of the 2011 Drive Safely Work Week Toolkit. This free resource, produced by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), is designed to help companies address distracted driving and improve the driving safety of their employees.
“Everybody has a Heather in their life--someone they love more than anything who they would do anything to protect. And we all owe it to these loved ones to change our habits behind the wheel,” said Russell Hurd. “My message is simple: turn the cell phone off and focus on safe, distraction-free driving.”
If you have a distracted driving experience you'd like to share, please email faces@distraction.gov.
Distracted Driving is a major safety concern and will need continued attention and discussion. As we continue to develop new electronics and innovations that can detract from safety we should monitor the best ways to continue to improve safety on our roads.
Posted by: Armstrong Forensic Engineers | August 10, 2011 at 02:36 PM
Wow, this is really moving, thanks. You get a fine of $142 in Oregon for driving while texting or talking on the phone but I see it multiple times every single day while I"m out on the street in my car or on my bike. Accidents waiting to happen.
Posted by: Albert Kaufman | August 11, 2011 at 12:15 AM
everyone seems to think it is always the truck driver wrong,some cases you are right,but what aobut all the cars going down the road passing swerving in fromnt of a truck,doing there texting,ladies putting ther make up on,trying to pass whne your getting off at the next exit which is 500 feet in front of the truck,what is with all the blame everyone needs to be more courteous. driving anymore is like a rat race no one pays any attention to what is going on around them,there phones are pasted to there ears like a ear ring,i seen it everday everyone thing just beacause there is 18 wheels the brakes will stop faster,well it wont think about it if you can,your car weighs approximate 2000lbs a truck weighs 80000lbs, who can stop quciker.also if you want to crowd cut off speed in front of or anything else with a truck who do you think is going to win that,80000 vs 2000, doesnt make any difference everyone will say o it isn tme well it is pay attention stay away from the trucks and have some dam driving skills and quit doing stupid things and your people might just get home.a vehicle is to drive from place to place not a office,dressing room or a phone booth.everyone wants there goods delivered but they donjt know how much crap the driver has to put up with to get it there.if the governemnt isnt making up idiot rulkes it is the cars trying to crowd or push them around.alot more to driving a truck then just sitting on your fat butt.people you really need to think,years ago people were nice if you were broke down on the side of the road they would stop to help now if you are along the side they try to run over you.ladies hate to say it but your more aggressive than most.there is another word for it to but i will be nice.stop it pay attention.
Posted by: bob | August 11, 2011 at 08:34 AM