Paige Effinger
Staff writer
peffinger@murraystate.edu
As Distracted Driving Awareness Month comes to an end, we remember students who lost their lives due to reckless driving.
In a fatal crash on Nov. 21, 2017, 20-year-old Murray State junior, Hailey Bertels and 20-year-old alumna Tori Carroll died in a semi-truck crash along with Bertel’s sister, Madisen and a fourth victim, Vivian Vu.
The man behind the wheel, Mohamed Jama from Greeley, Colorado, was charged with four counts of reckless homicide and eight counts of reckless driving. Jama failed to slow down while driving through a construction zone, crashing into seven vehicles on Interstate 55 South in Hamel, Illinois.
Jama turned himself in earlier this month. Other people on the scene reported that Jama was driving an estimated 60 mph in the construction zone.
Distracted driving is a problem that continues to increase in the United States. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, nine people die every day from a distracted driving crash.
To those that knew Hailey best, Hailey was an amazing friend. Caitlin Murnane, senior from Paris, Tennessee, said she never felt unloved in Hailey’s presence. Murnane was a close friend of Hailey and a member of the same sorority.
“She was amazing, honest, hilarious, kind, caring, innocent and more pure than I have ever known a person to be,” Murnane said. “She was a regular person to many, but to those that knew her, she was so much more.”
Murnane described Hailey as never having a selfish moment. She finds herself devastated thinking that we all have to live in a world without Hailey.
“I was blessed with every single joke, hug and smile,” she said.
Carroll graduated in just two years from Murray State after receiving her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. At the time of her death, she was studying at Northern Kentucky University Chase School of Law.
Carroll was known for her infectious laugh. Christine Pickett, senior from Hillsboro, Missouri, worked with Carroll and they had many classes together.
“She was bubbly, outgoing, strong and confident,” Pickett said. “She could turn any bad day into a good one and make you laugh until you couldn’t breathe.”
Pickett said she misses pretty much everything about Carroll, but she especially misses the moments spent laughing.
“I miss her making me laugh the most,” she said. “Being around her, you would never stop laughing.”
Distracted driving can range from changing the station on the radio to texting and driving. However minor the situation may seem, the repercussions are serious.
According to the DMV, there are ways to prevent distracted driving.
Tips include cleaning your car before trips to prevent distractions, taking frequent breaks while driving, not driving while drowsy and preparing for your trip as much as possible beforehand.
Visit www.thenews.org to commit to not being another distracted driving statistic.