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Herriman • Clark Hill said Thursday that the death of his daughter in 2010 came down to two decisions.
First, Chelsie Hill, 24, decided not to buckle her seat belt while riding in a friend's SUV from a restaurant to a nearby tanning salon.
And more directly, the 19-year-old who struck that SUV decided to focus on her cellphone instead of the traffic in front of her.
The impact was enough to roll the SUV, Hill said, causing his daughter to be partially ejected through the sunroof.
"The car landed on Chelsie's head and neck, crushing it and killing her," he said. "When the car rolled back onto its tires she was fully ejected."
Hill and his wife, Debbie Hill, told the story of their daughter's death to students at Herriman High School as part of the "Zero Fatalities" campaign to end vehicle-related deaths in Utah.
They urged students to be cautious on the roads, by both fastening their seat belts and resisting the urge to look down at a text message or adjust the radio.
"There is nothing, nothing more important than what is out in front of you when you're behind the wheel," Debbie Hill said. "You don't want to be that person who causes a crash that takes someone's life and devastates a family forever."
In addition to the presentation by the Hills, a vehicle damaged by a drowsy driver was placed in front of Herriman High School as a visual reminder of the importance of safe, focused driving.
And Scott Lauritzen, a Unified Police Department resource officer assigned to Herriman High School, encouraged students to download an "It's not worth it!" screensaver that would pop up when they receive a text message or incoming call while driving.
"Get on it, download it and make sure your friends download it," he said. "Empower yourselves to not get in a vehicle with someone who is going to text and drive."
Caleb Linquist, a Herriman High senior and student body officer, said it's good for students to be reminded about the dangers of distracted driving.
He admitted to texting while driving in the past, but said he tries to avoid using his phone in the car.
"I did, and then I realized that I was being stupid," he said.
Another senior, Miriam Briggs, said the Hills' presentation "hit home."
She said its easy for teen drivers to forget the potential consequences at the moment they are reaching for their phone.
"I think lots of them think it's just one time, or that it's important at that time," she said. "It really can make a huge lasting impact."
Clark Hill said the warning about distracted driving is particularly important for high school students.
They'll soon graduate, he said, and will find themselves behind the wheel more often while traveling to work, college classes and other responsibilities.
"The accident was caused because of distraction, and right now cellphones have become the biggest distraction of all drivers," he said. "You have to, at this point in your life, start taking responsibility for being a driver."