A desperate plea from a father: put down the phone and buckle up.
Miker Myers's daughter, Elana, was killed two years ago in a crash while driving home from Texas Tech where she was a student. Elana was not wearing a seat belt.
TxDOT is reminding drivers to buckle up with its statewide campaign, Click it, or Ticket.
Last year in Texas, of the more than 2,000 crashes involving unbuckled passengers, 889 died and more than 1,800 had serious injuries.
"But it can happen to any of us, and that is the message," Myers said. "It can happen to you. It can happen to your best friend. It can happen to your parents. So, put the phone away. Don't text, and buckle up. Somebody there loves you, and come home."
The Click it, or Ticket campaign lasts through June 5.
State law requires everyone in the vehicle to buckle up or face fines and other court costs of up to $200.
“If Elana’s death has any purpose, I hope that it teaches others the dangers of not being buckled up while driving,” Myers says. “I dream that there was a way to hit the rewind button so she could learn the lesson without having to pay the price.”
