A woman who lost both parents to a distracted driver just hours after her college graduation is now speaking out as Fort Wayne police prepare to ramp up enforcement on Indiana’s roads.
Jacy Good’s story is a gut punch. It is a reminder that one glance at a phone can destroy lives forever. Her message comes as officers gear up for a major push against speeding and distracted driving starting this weekend.
What Fort Wayne Police Are Doing Starting This Weekend
Beginning Saturday, Fort Wayne police officers will work overtime patrols as part of the Comprehensive Highway Injury Reduction Program. The effort is a partnership with the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. Officers will specifically target drivers who are speeding or breaking Indiana’s Hands-Free Law.
The increased enforcement will run through April 13, 2026.
“Distracted driving and speeding are preventable behaviors that put drivers, passengers, and pedestrians at risk,” said Douglas Huntsinger, executive director of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. He added that law enforcement officers are actively working to keep roads safe across the state.
Fort Wayne Police Lt. Tony Maze did not mince words about what drivers should expect.
“These actions are illegal and endanger everyone on the road. Officers will step up enforcement and ticket anyone caught violating these laws,” Maze said.
The Devastating Numbers Behind Distracted Driving
The statistics paint a grim picture. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Indiana alone saw these numbers in 2023:
- 249 deaths linked to speeding
- 47 deaths caused by distracted driving
Nationally, the crisis is even larger. The NHTSA reported that distracted driving claimed 3,308 lives across the United States in 2022. That works out to roughly nine people killed every single day because someone was not paying attention behind the wheel.
Texting while driving is considered the most dangerous form of distraction. Sending or reading a text takes a driver’s eyes off the road for about five seconds. At 55 mph, that is the equivalent of driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.
Indiana’s Hands-Free Law, which went into effect in 2020, makes it illegal for drivers to hold or use a phone while operating a vehicle. Violations can result in fines and points on a driver’s license.
Jacy Good’s Story: A Life Changed in Seconds
Jacy Good graduated from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on May 18, 2008. She had just landed her dream job through AmeriCorps as a team leader for Habitat for Humanity. She was in love. She had plans.
“I felt like I was ready to take on the world, honestly. I had figured out life,” Good recalled.
Hours later, everything was gone.
As Jacy and her parents, Jean and Jay Good, drove home to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a driver talking on his cell phone tried to turn left through a red light. A truck driver swerved to avoid him and slammed head-on into the Good family’s car.
Jean and Jay Good died at the scene.
Jacy was given a 10 percent chance of survival. She lay comatose in intensive care for weeks and spent four months in the hospital. A traumatic brain injury left her unable to use her left arm or lower leg. She was 21 years old.
“Every day of my life is hard in some way. I was paralyzed, my parents are gone because of a driver on his phone, and that’s hard,” Jacy said.
She also pointed to the driver who caused the crash. He was just talking on his phone. He did not set out to kill anyone that day.
“But now he has to live the rest of his life knowing that dumb thing he did killed two people,” she said.
From Tragedy to a Nationwide Campaign
Less than a year after the crash, Good began campaigning for a cell phone ban while driving in Pennsylvania. Her advocacy quickly gained national attention. She appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and was featured in People Magazine.
Together with her husband Steve, Jacy launched a campaign called “Hang Up and Drive.” Since 2011, the couple has spoken at more than 1,800 events around the world. They estimate their message has reached over 500,000 people at schools, companies, and community gatherings.
Their mission is simple but powerful. Put the phone down. Every single trip.
“You’ve got to figure out what works for you, and it is hard at first, because we are all on our phones all the time. I am no exception to that. But I’ll tell you, give this a shot. If I see my phone, it’s a little harder, so my phone goes in my bag. It’s an out of sight, out of mind thing.”
Simple Tips to Avoid Distracted Driving
Jacy Good and safety experts recommend these practical steps every driver can follow:
- Put your phone in a bag or glove box before starting the car
- Turn on Do Not Disturb mode so notifications do not tempt you
- Pull over safely if you absolutely need to check your phone
- Ask a passenger to handle calls or texts for you
- Set your GPS and music playlist before you start driving
- Remember that no text is worth a life, not yours and not anyone else’s
These small habits can become second nature over time. The key is to start now.
The Fort Wayne police crackdown and Jacy Good’s story both carry the same message. Distracted driving is not just a bad habit. It is a choice that can end lives in an instant. Two parents went to their daughter’s graduation and never came home. A young woman lost her ability to walk normally and will carry that pain for the rest of her life. All because someone could not put down a phone. As patrols increase across Indiana this month, every driver has a chance to make a different choice. Drop your phone, keep your eyes on the road, and make sure everyone in your car gets home safe. What do you think about stricter enforcement for distracted driving? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
