Don’t drive distracted assembly at Emery High

By Patsy Stoddard
Editor

Kimberly Schlau has taken the biggest tragedy in her life and is using it to create awareness about a problem that is plaguing our nation.
Distracted driving is now one of the leading causes of deaths and traffic accidents.
Schlau’s daughters Jessica and Kelli Uhl were killed by a speeding state trooper when he lost control of his vehicle and crossed the median. The girls car was hit at such a high rate of speed the car disintegrated pushing the front of the car to the rear. Her daughters were killed instantly in the crash. Their car also hit a mini-van where the parents were injured and the three children in the back received minor injuries.
Since this tragic time, Schlau has been speaking at various police departments and in schools.
She travels across the country telling her story and that of her daughters. She visited the students at Emery High and told them her tragic story and what they can learn from it.
She wishes she would of had the opportunity to let her girls know how much they meant to her, but they were gone out of her life in an instant.
The state trooper who crashed into her daughters was responding to a crash 22 miles away. It was the day after Thanksgiving and the streets were busy. It was nice weather, not stormy and about 45 degrees. The trooper turned around and started heading eastbound at speeds of 80-90 and then 115-120 mph. He answered a phone call and was also typing messages in his computer at the same time he was traveling at a high rate of speed. Dispatch had broadcast on the radio that police were there and fire department was there, it was not an emergency. The trooper later claimed he hadn’t heard that broadcast. When he lost control, his car hit the median, became airborne and his car went through Schlau’s daughter’s car hitting the base of the windshield. It peeled back the metal of the car.
Schlau kept waiting for the return of her daughters and they were late. They should have been back by noon, but the clock ticked past noon and then one and by 3 p.m. she was very worried. Her daughter’s work called and said Jessica hadn’t arrived at work.
“Jessica was very responsible, so I knew something was wrong. I tried calling her phone which went directly to voice mail. I tried again. Finally I called their Dad who said they had left hours ago. Ironically their Dad had been diverted around the accident when he was on his way to work, not knowing it was his daughters. He did tell me afterwards as he looked down at the crash scene, he offered a prayer, for the accident to not be as bad as it looked.
“I decided to head out looking for the girls. I was getting ready and told my younger daughter to get ready and we were getting ready to leave when I saw headlights in my driveway from two cars and the dogs started barking. There were two Illinois police officers and the other car contained the chaplain and the coroner. The whole time I was thinking I wasn’t going to open the door. They asked me if I had a white Mazda. They had Jessica’s wallet. Kelli being 13 didn’t have any ID.”
“They said it took so long to notify her because they were trying to figure out how many people were in the car. Their bodies were blown into pieces. These stoic officers were showing emotion when they found out the girls in the crash were sisters and their younger sister was with me.
“It’s been like putting together a puzzle. That officer had a six year career and he had been in eight accidents. He had rear ended a couple at a stop sign. He was on the phone, he was on the computer, he was asking for directions to the accident. He was speeding even though dispatch said there was no hurry. He was charged with reckless homicide. At the time there were no rules or laws about texting and driving or talking and driving. A year later the police department changed their policies to no phones or computer use when responding and driving.
“Three years later it went to trial. He asked for a plea deal. He was going twice the speed limit.
“For awhile, I was really down on law enforcement. But, I had been taught not to judge everyone by the behavior of a few. Most police officers are law abiding and doing their job as it should be done. I don’t blame law enforcement. We blame that trooper, it was his fault, it was his choices and actions that led to the death of my daughters. I didn’t want to see him go free to hurt others.
“There is an epidemic of distracted driving. My daughter Madeline was 8 at the time of the accident and is now 18. She is in college now in Portland. We drove across the country to take her to college. She still has separation anxiety. If someone says they are going to be home at a certain time and they’re 10 minutes late, she worries.
“When she was 13 she spoke to 600 police officers. It was a big deal. I was very proud. She wants to work for fish and wildlife or state parks. No matter what she does I am proud of her. She isn’t afraid to have a courageous conversation. If she sees someone driving unsafe, she isn’t afraid to speak up. She tells people her sisters were killed by a police officer going 126 mph.
“Utah has a slogan. Don’t drive stupid,” said Schlau.
Schlau works with an organization to keep police officers alive. Slow down, wear your vest, watch your speed when responding to accidents. Think about WIN what’s important now. Ignore phone calls and texts while driving. Pull over if you need to respond.
“Everyone gets into bad habits and we become complacent. We think just because we texted and drove one time and got away with it, that we can do it again. But, what if the next time, a kid runs out in front of your car and you don’t see him because you’re looking down. How will your parents feel? How will the parents of the kid feel if you run over their child?
She is also working with law makers to get consistent laws across the nation on texting and talking while driving. Put the phone away while driving. Don’t be distracted. Slow down and watch your speed. Be aware of changing road conditions. “If your friends are driving distracted don’t be afraid to tell them to stop. Don’t be afraid of asking them to pull over and let you out. Your parents would rather come and pick you up off the side of the road than to have someone pick you up out of the road if you’ve been in an accident. Wear your seatbelts.
“There have been prevent reckless/distracted driving posters made by the Illinois police to help remind everyone to drive safe.
“Eleven teens die every day due to distracted driving. I want you to think about your parents. You are the most important thing to them. They celebrate your birthday. They want you to be safe. Don’t brush it off the next time they say to be safe. Be safe because you are everything to them.
“Distraction is the main cause of officer involved collisions. Stay safe,” said Schlau.
Schlau presented to the Emery County Sheriff’s Office and to the local power plants. She will be in South Dakota, Kentucky, Philadelphia, Denver and Oklahoma in the near future.
“It’s my job. I’ve been doing this for seven years. I want to share my story to help keep people safe. Company’s are starting to recognize that even blue tooths aren’t safe. There’s technology coming that will disable a phone if traveling at high speeds.
“Emery County has been great. I’ve met officers and businesses and the school,” said Schlau.
Preventing accidents through education about the dangers of distracted drivers has become Schlau’s mission. If she can help even one family avoid what her family has gone through it will be worth it. All life is precious.