Distracted driving victim talks with local high school students - NEWS10 ABC: Albany, New York News, Weather, Sports

Distracted driving victim talks with local high school students

SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. - Jacy Good has told her story on Opera and at the United Nations, and Thursday she talked to students at Schuylerville High School about the dangers of using your cell phone behind the wheel.

The dangers of distracted driving are not a new message for Schuylerville High School students, but the message delivered Thursday from Jacy was different.

"It's difficult to tell my story every time, but it's difficult to live every day without my parents," Jacy says.

Jacy Good survived the car accident, but her parents did not, and a distracted driver on a cell phone is to blame.

Jacy was permanently disabled in the crash; she has little use of her left arm because of the traumatic brain injury. Now she tours the country urging kids to hang up and drive.

"Hopefully by meeting me they can make a change behind the wheel," she said.

Junior Marissa McCarthy says she hopes her classmates were listening.

"You get in a car every day and make so many split second decisions and just to get a phone call or a text message and to make a decision that could save someone's life."

Jacy has set up the website www.hangupanddrive.com, as well as on Facebook and Twitter urging everyone to take the pledge to hang up and drive.

"We're all going to collectively take the pledge as best we can and see if we can embrace it from day to day," says Tayler Dooley, a senior at Schuylerville High.