Troopers share gut-wrenching reminder about the dangers of texting behind the wheel

Illinois State troopers are working to raise awareness about the danger of distracted driving by sharing the story of a teen who lost her life while texting.

Earlier this month, Illinois State Police shared a chilling reminder on social media about the deadly consequences of texting and driving.

Troopers wrote:

Lacy’s last text…
16 year old Lacy died in a crash while texting. Yes, she died while wearing her seatbelt. Sometimes an impact is just too violent to survive, seatbelt or not. Understand, it’s not the seatbelt that killed her. Lacy’s parents allow us to share the story of their only child in hopes of saving others from making that fatal choice to text behind the wheel. Will you remember her?  #drivenowtextlater

Her truck is on display at the Illinois State Fair at the ISP Safety Education Tent.

The Facebook post featured images of Lucy and her mangled vehicle which was displayed at the Illinois State Fair.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,166 lives were lost to distracted driving in 2017 alone.