Victims of distracted drivers part of new awareness campaign

Fuller worked “unscathed” as an officer for 25 years. In retirement, enjoying a morning bicycle ride on Feb. 17, 2016 in the Catalina Foothills, everything changed.

She was struck by a vehicle — the impact shattered her legs and hands. “It only took a minute to change my life and my husband’s life,” said Fuller, who remained in bed for three months, fully dependent on her husband, Mark, also a retired TPD sergeant.

The 62-year-old bicyclist has undergone five surgeries. The healing is not over. Fuller faces more operations on her legs and is still in therapy.

The Fullers were among the victims of distracted drivers who took to the podium Friday to share the moments that forever changed their lives during the kickoff of “Look! Save a Life” campaign. The campaign features safety videos educating cyclists and drivers about traffic laws and the aftermath caused by crashes.

The community room at Tucson Fire Department’s downtown headquarters, 300 S. Fire Central Place, was packed and all were in silence listening to the stories shared by those affected.

For Karen and Mark Wilson, a distracted driver killed their son Dan, 30, on Sept. 29, 2015 on the northwest side. Dan was hit by a motorist from behind and died instantly, said Karen Wilson.

It was before dawn and their son was riding his bicycle to Donaldson Elementary School, about a mile from his home. He was the custodian at the school.

“He was doing everything he could to make sure drivers saw him in the bike lane with his back flashers on and his head lamp on,” Karen Wilson said. She said the driver did not look before he drove into the bike lane and struck her son, who left behind a wife and two young daughters.

“I pray that you never have to experience the horrendous pain that many families have suffered. I never dreamed it could happen in our family,” she said.

Brothers Jon and Christopher Hall lost their dad, Tom Hall, 74, a retired firefighter of the Phoenix Fire Department, on April 2, 2016. Their dad was riding his motorcycle when he was struck by a vehicle, said Jon Hall, also a firefighter with Phoenix Fire.

“He flew over the car and landed on the asphalt,” said Jon Hall. “I saw my dad die,” said Hall, explaining that he viewed video of the crash that was captured by the dash camera of a nearby ambulance.

His father’s death and his work tending to crash victims has pushed Jon Hall to campaign for educating the public about the repercussions of distracted driving.

These families were part of the Look! Save a Life campaign that was spearheaded by Brendan Lyons, a former firefighter with Rural/Metro Fire Department. Lyons, 33, formed the nonprofit Tucson chapter here in 2012 after talking to founders in Boise, Idaho because he said he was putting sheets over bodies too often.

Then in 2013, Lyons and his now fiancée, Lorena Evans, were bike riding when they were struck from behind at 45 mph by a distracted motorist. Lyons suffered traumatic brain injury, multiple fractures and months of recovery in a wheelchair.

The injuries forced him to leave firefighting and he is now a student at Northern Arizona University studying public administration and working to impact communities through traffic safety aimed at bicyclists and motorists.

In addition to crash victims, the campaign brought together law enforcement, government officials and community leaders to educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving, including texting, and the need for legislators to pass a statewide law that prohibits texting while driving.

The campaign also includes public safety announcements on social media about traffic laws and the consequences of unsafe driving. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, and the Tucson and Oro Valley police departments unveiled SUVs that feature safety messages.

According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, in 2015 there were roughly 29,400 crashes on state highways and distracted driving contributed to 2,729 of the collisions.