Distracted driving is a matter of life and death

My son, Tyler Smedley, was killed in a single-car accident due to making a cell phone recording of himself Dec. 2, 2015. He was only 22 years old and a father to 4-year-old twin boys.

The tow-truck company found his cell phone at the crash site and, once we received it, we went through it and found his last recording. You see him for five seconds and then you can hear the car crashing.

Since my son’s death, I have been his voice and advocating against distracted driving. I’m also involved with Impact Teen Drivers. They made a public service announcement about my son’s story. I have two Facebook pages, Loved Ones Against Texting and Driving, and a group called Tyler’s Voice Against Texting and Driving. I try to educate people on the awareness of distracted driving.

My son was an aspiring chef; he loved life to the fullest. He made one mistake that caused him his life. I don’t want another parent have to go through what I’m going through.

This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 7:35 AM with the headline "Distracted driving is a matter of life and death."