An advocate on cell phone distracted driving speaks to area high school students
By: Jennifer Lee
Updated: September 17, 2012
Her parents were killed and now she's speaking out to save others from such a horrible and avoidable fate.
Jacy Good shared her story in front of area high school students to open their eyes to the dangers of picking up a cellphone behind the wheel.
It was supposed to be a day of celebration for Jacy and her family back in May of 2008. She has just graduated from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. But, following the ceremony, it was the ride home that changed her life forever.
"An 18-year-old young man on the intersecting road who picked up his phone and made a call got to the red light and never even saw it. He went turned left into the intersection. A tractor trailer swerved trying to miss him but served directly into our car," explained Good.
Both Good's parents were killed on impact and she was given a ten percent chance of survival. Jacy had broken bones in multiple areas of her body, including a shattered pelvis as well as a serious brain injury.
But she beat the odds and today stands in front of hundreds of young teenagers as an advocate on cell phone distracted driving.
"I think being able to talk about it and being lucky enough to talk to high schoolers and know through talking to them I'm impacting their lives and changing their decisions on the road," said Good.
Jacy says there were no criminal charges filed against the driver because there's no law in Pennsylvania against using a cellphone while driving.
"He was 18-years-old and calling one of his friends. That phone call wasn't more important than my parents' lives. And I think through doing this is trying to bring some justice as to why they were killed," said Good.
And after hearing Jacy's story, some students at Whitesboro High School say they will think twice before picking up their cellphones.
"Every time you see something like this i never want to text and drive. I try not to. I would always give my phone away to someone in the passenger seat just so I don't have the distraction," said Rebecca Galer.
Jacy is a nationally recognized speaker and advocate. The 26-year-old is engaged and is looking forward to get married in the next year.
