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Woman continues to fight for hands-free law after husband was killed by distracted driver

Posted at 6:22 PM, Jan 28, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-28 18:22:54-05

INDIANAPOLIS — A woman is fighting to make the roads safer and pushing for a new law to pass after distracted driving killed their family member.

Indiana house members discussed the distracted driving bill Tuesday and could vote on it Wednesday morning.

Brian Seyer was killed when he was crossing a crosswalk and struck and killed by an 18-year-old, Kelly Seyer, his wife said. An investigation found he was using his phone moments before the crash.

PREVIOUS | What you need to know about Indiana's proposed hands-free driving law

Since the incident, Kelly says she has seen more people using their phones behind the wheel.

"It makes me really mad," Kelly said. "I'm fearful. I know this can happen to you. I know what the effects can be."

Woman pushes for hands-free bill after husband was killed by distracted driver

A couple of years ago, Kelly started reaching out to lawmakers pushing them to make a change. She says she is optimistic this current bill will move forward.

The proposed legislation would make it illegal to hold and use a phone while in the driver's seat of a moving car. If you are using a cell phone or GPS, it would have to be used with hands-free or voice technology.

"I hope that over time it just becomes the norm for drivers and we get our attention back on the road rather than our phones," Kelly said.

Currently, 21 states have similar hands free cell phone laws.