A toddler died because a driver wasn't paying attention, now Kentucky might finally do something about it

KY Senator Jimmy Higdon presented the Phone-Down Kentucky Act Tuesday; legislation that could bring Kentucky's distracted driving laws into the 21st century.

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I've been following this story for months now, and watching it come to this point feels both hopeful and heartbreaking.

Kentucky legislators are set to consider new restrictions on cell phone use behind the wheel- legislation many other states have already passed and frankly, our state has been ignoring for way too long.

Senate Transportation Chair Jimmy Higdon will present the Phone-Down Kentucky Act, a comprehensive hands-free driving bill that would bring Kentucky in line with all seven of its neighboring states.

Earlier this year, when I sat down with the Lebanon Republican to talk about distracted driving, he was already working on this legislation. What he needed was a way to make lawmakers- and Kentuckians- understand why it matters.

That's when I introduced him to Alyssa Burns.

On an October afternoon in 2022, Alyssa's 2-year-old daughter Camberleigh was riding in her car seat when a white F-350 pickup truck slammed into the back of their vehicle near the Gene Snyder exit on I-70 in Louisville. The little girl died from her injuries. Alyssa suffered a traumatic brain injury, four broken ribs, and nerve damage. Her fiancé faced a fractured neck, broken ribs, and a collapsed lung. The driver of the truck? He walked away without a scratch.

What happened next might be the most frustrating part- and it's something Alyssa and I have talked about extensively. According to the Louisville Metro Police investigation, the truck driver was "not properly watching the roadway ahead." The collision report listed just one contributing factor: "inattention." By the time he noticed traffic had slowed, the driver told police, it was too late to stop.

A witness who watched the crash unfold in her rearview mirror described the terrifying moment to police: "I look up and I see this truck just barreling. I had one second to react so I tried to get over, as far as I could. Then he hit them... like he never even hit the brakes."

The coroner's report revealed Camberleigh was nearly decapitated in the crash.

When you hear "inattention" as the only explanation for why a toddler died, it's hard not to feel like something is deeply broken in our system. And that's exactly what supporters of the Phone-Down Kentucky Act are trying to fix.

The proposed legislation would require drivers to use hands-free technology for cell phones, closing loopholes in Kentucky's current distracted driving laws that are too weak and too easily ignored.

Kentucky has actually become an outlier on this issue. Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, and Illinois- every single state that borders us- has enacted comprehensive hand-held phone bans. Meanwhile, we've been dragging our feet even as distracted driving fatalities keep climbing.

Since Camberleigh died in 2022, at least 400 other people have been killed in crashes caused by “inattention” in Kentucky, according to data from Kentucky State Police.

The committee presentation today marks a crucial first step in what advocates hope will finally be the year Kentucky catches up. For Alyssa Burns and other families who've lost loved ones to distracted drivers, this legislation represents more than just policy. It's about making sure no other parent has to bury their child because someone wasn't paying attention behind the wheel.

When you're driving down the interstate, "inattention" isn't just a mistake. It's a choice. And it can be deadly.

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