HUDSONVILLE, Mich. — A West Michigan man who lost his son last year in a crash caused by a distracted driver shared his story to high school students Monday.
Jason Talsma, the father of David Talsma, who died in a crash on I-196, spoke Monday morning at Unity Christian High School. Several law enforcement officers and students are also participating.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning says that there were 7,517 crashes in Michigan in 2015 due to distracted driving. 27 people were killed and 2,350 were injured.
David Talsma, 13, was killed in a crash in a construction zone on I-196 in August 2015.
Travis Fox of Crown Point, Indiana pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months of probation and ordered to pay more than $3,300 in court costs and fines. Fox had told responders that he was eating a sandwich at the time of the crash and had looked down at his GPS.
