- A Tallahassee father has started a grassroots campaign to end distracted driving on Florida roads.
- He has been working on the initiative for a decade after his son was killed in an accident on Old Bainbridge Road.
- Watch the video to hear why he says more legislation is needed:
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A 19-year-old motorcyclist was killed in a crash on this road 10 years ago.
Another biker was killed earlier this week just down the road.
Neighbors are pushing to make a change on our roads and beyond to save lives.
After losing his son, one man is using his story to push for less distractions behind the wheel.
"Anthony was my best friend, best friend in the world," said Demetrius Branca. "He was the best friend I ever had."
That's how Branca remembers his son Anthony.
He was killed on Old Bainbridge Road in 2014 after a driver hit him on his motorcycle.
"He slowed down to take a left turn and when he did, the driver behind him didn't and literally ran into him, ran over him and then coasted to a stop." Branca said. "All of that indicates to me that that driver was distracted."
That's why he has been pushing since then to get a full hands-free driving law in Florida.
"The only way for me to go to the grave, breathe my last breath is to hear Anthony in my ear saying 'Dad, that's a life lived right,'" Branca said.
Currently, Florida has a ban on texting while driving and a ban on the use of electronic communication in work or school zones.
There is no total ban on the handheld use of phones.
Branca has been working with people across the state like Michelle Avola-Brown with the Naples Pathways Coalition to ban other distractions.
" Just driving around, I see so many people doing so many stupid things behind the wheel, watching movies, paying bills, checking social media," Avola Brown said.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, distracted drivers are 23 more times likely to be in an accident than those with their eyes on the road.
Just this year, at least 34 people have died in Leon County from traffic accidents.
That's why Branca is honoring his son on his 30th birthday by going to each county in Florida to ask them to urge lawmakers to make a change.
"I'm starting a grassroots campaign to get officials at the county level to pass a resolution urging lawmakers to do better. We've got to do better."
He's hosting "Phoenix Fest" Saturday, a day to celebrate his son's birthday and raise money for his push.
A permanent reminder in his son's handwriting on his arm reminds him each day of why he does this work.
"Six months after Anthony died, I got a handwritten note from him and it came from a friend," Branca said. "It closes by saying 'Nothing is impossible. Impossible is a word used by the weak to give up. Never give up, your big brother, Anthony Branca.'"
If you want to support Branca's cause, Phoenix Fest is happening Saturday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 815 Voncile Avenue in Tallahassee. The event will feature a silent auction, yard games, music and food.
