Teen’s death puts focus on distracted driving

RIVERTON — Police are hoping that by telling the story of a teen whose death was caused by distracted driving they may save other lives.

Herriman High School student Bryson Hathaway was most likely killed by distracted driving. Officers say he may have been reaching for his cell phone when he slammed into the back of a parked school bus in Riverton last year and lost his life.

Law enforcement in Utah, including Hathaway’s uncle and football coach, as well as the Department of Transportation, encouraged people to keep their eyes on the road this Valentine’s Day, which is the one-year anniversary of the teen’s death, during an event at the Unified Fire Authority in Riverton.

Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Danny Allen, Hathaway’s uncle, says that’s especially important because a large storm is expected to hit Utah by Valentine’s Day.

“When the roads are slick, or wet, or snowy, you have to be right on top of it because if you encounter an emergency, and you’re looking too late and you slam on your brakes, you’re not going to be able to stop in time,” Allen said.

Chris Hathaway admits what his son probably did is something dangerous we’ve all done. But he still wants to warn the public.

“All of a sudden you look up and you’re hearing the strips on the highway, and all you did was look down for two seconds,” Hathaway said.

There have been fatal crashes on Utah’s roads the past four Valentine’s Days.

KSL teams up regularly with UDOT on the Road to Zero Fatalities to prevent roadway deaths. Learn more here.