BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) – A father has turned his life’s work into educating people about the dangers of distracted driving after his daughter was killed in an accident blamed on the practice.
“I’m tired of looking at the anguish in a mom’s face when she says, ‘remember my dead daughter, remember my dead son,'” said Joel Feldman, who’s daughter Casey was killed in 2009. “She was walking across the street in the crosswalk, and a 58-year-old man was reaching for his GPS. He rolled through the stop sign, hit her. It was broad daylight. He said he never saw her.”
Statistics show that over 4000 people per year are killed as a result of distracted driving. That’s about 11 people per day.
Since his daughter’s death, Feldman has formed the Casey Feldman Memorial Foundation and EndDD.org.
He travels the country to talk to groups and schools like he did in Birmingham Thursday. He hopes to change driving habits.
“I’m alive and my child is dead. I’m the one with a future. It’s not supposed to be that way. It’s not supposed to be that way,” he said.
At the talks, Feldman sometimes gets wristbands from audience members.
“I’m tired of getting wristbands, I don’t want to get any more wristbands,” said Feldman.
Because each one represents a child who has been a lost, each one a symbol of what could have been.
“But I’m optimistic. Working together we can put a dent in this and we can save lives,” said Feldman.
Copyright 2017 WBRC. All rights reserved. Originally published By John Huddleston, Reporter.
