MILWAUKEE — Cynthia Williams was 35 years old when she lost her 17-year-old son to distracted driving in 2006.
She recalls a typical teen who took great pride in his appearance.
"I think the best points were him liking to look good physically," said Williams as she sat in front of a portrait of her son, Christopher Allen Williams.
Williams works in overdrive to educate on distracted driving. She formed "Love from Afar, the Christopher Allen William's Foundation." It oversees Parents against Distracted Driving or PADD.
Part of the mission of the organizations formed by Williams is to comfort grieving parents.
Williams warns, "It's a big memorial, everybody is there after the first day or two. But the week after the mashed potatoes and chicken is gone, and the pastor is gone, and the funeral is gone, you are by yourself."
That's why her group is sponsoring a mock car crash outside Washington High School Saturday, April 2. It's a signal to youth that bad driving can kill.
She advises, "Get the proper resources that you and your family need so you do not continue to create legacies of grief and pain."
According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, one in five crashes involves distracted driving. A distracted driving crash happens in Wisconsin every 22 minutes.
"I think we need to start tackling things that are in our homes, any race, age, or gender that is causing them to get in the car and drive distracted," said Williams. "Life is just heavy these days."
But perhaps with mock car demonstrations, more teens will think before getting in a car and putting their lives and others' lives at risk.
