Parents
of a college student who died in a car accident while sending a text
are now sharing that final message in hopes to stopping others from
dying similar crashes.
Alexander
Heit, 22, died shortly after the April 3 crash, but his parents and
police are hoping the photo of the mundane text on his iPhone will serve
as a stark reminder to drivers.
His final text cut off in mid-sentence, because he drifted into oncoming traffic before he could send it.
The University of Northern Colorado student jerked the steering wheel and went off the road, rolling his car. The
photo, published Wednesday in The Greeley Tribune, shows Heit was
responding to a friend by typing 'Sounds good my man, seeya soon, ill
tw' before he crashed.
Witnesses
told police that Heit appeared to have his head down when he began
drifting into the oncoming lane in the outskirts of Greeley, where the
University of Northern Colorado is located. According to police, an oncoming driver slowed and moved over just before Heit looked up and jerked the steering wheel. Unfortunately,
when we think to ourselves, ‘I’ll just do it this one time,’ we are
fooling ourselves,' police chief Jerry Garner said. This
‘one time’ may be the only time. The Heits are sharing their tragedy
and loss, in hope that through Alex’s story, others may realize and
recognize just how dangerous texting and driving is. If this tragic,
senseless accident can be a learning experience for others, perhaps
others will be saved. Police say Heit, a Colorado native who loved hiking and snowboarding, had a spotless driving record and wasn't speeding.
In
a statement released through police, Heit's mother said she doesn't
want anyone else to lose someone to texting while driving. I can’t bear the thought of anyone else having to go through something like this,' Sharon Heit said. In a split second you could ruin your future, injure or kill others, and tear a hole in the heart of everyone who loves you.'
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