Mother of girl killed in bus speaks in distraction campaign

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Among the somber faces in the new "Faces of Distracted Driving" series is Elissa Schee, whose 13-year-old daughter Margay was killed when a semi-truck crashed into the back of her school bus.

The truck driver was talking on his cell phone at the time of the crash and said he never saw the bus. In an online video, Schee describes the tragedy and urges others not to succumb to distractions like cell phones while driving.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood launched the “Faces of Distracted Driving” campaign on Tuesday. It features people from across the country who have been injured or lost loved ones in distracted driving crashes. In 2009, nearly 5,500 people died and half a million were injured in accidents involving a distracted driver.

“These videos are dramatic evidence that the lives lost to America’s distracted driving epidemic aren’t statistics. They’re children, parents, neighbors and friends,” LaHood said. “These people have courageously come forward to share their personal tragedies in order to warn others against making the dangerous decision to talk or text behind the wheel.”

The "Faces of Distracted Driving" site launched with videos of Schee and two others who lost family members in distracted driving crashes. The site is at www.distraction.gov/faces.