Arlington mom of distracted driving victim works to keep others safe

ARLINGTON — The driver passed three orange signs urging caution.

Cody Meyer, 23, of Arlington, was directing traffic in a construction zone that day in December 2015. He wore a new, neon-yellow outfit. It kept him warmer on winter days than his old flagger uniform.

Police told Cody Meyer’s mother later that day the driver had been on his phone while traveling down Cedar Grove Road in Issaquah. The driver reportedly had been going between 45 and 50 mph, she was told.

Nearly one out of every 10 drivers in Washington are distracted while driving, according to a 2016 survey released by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. Related deaths increased by 32 percent in 2015, results show.

Tina Meyer, 55, remembers the large dent on the hood of a black Jeep.

Cody Meyer spent the next 151 days in hospitals. He couldn’t speak because of a traumatic brain injury. When he was admitted to Harborview Medical Center, doctors explained they needed to see “purposeful movement.” They wanted to know if he could move and understand what was going on around him.

He kissed his mom.

Cody Meyer found ways to communicate without words. He would say “I love you” in sign language.

“He was a fighter,” Tina Meyer said.

He died in May 2016 from a heart attack, a complication from his injuries.

“It’s your 23-year-old child you have to say goodbye to because of a phone,” Tina Meyer said.

The driver has been charged in King County Superior Court with vehicular homicide.

Tina Meyer has dedicated herself to teaching people about the consequences of distracted driving.

She has spoken to students at Stanwood and Arlington high schools over the past year. She shares the story of her son, an Eagle Scout who volunteered at the Fire Mountain Scout Camp. When his grandparents headed out to the Skagit River to fish, he would tag along.

“He hated fishing, absolutely hated it. He just wanted to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa,” Tina Meyer said.

He was still figuring out what he wanted to do with his life, she said.

Tina Meyer hopes his story encourages people to be thoughtful when getting behind the wheel.

It takes about five seconds for a driver to glance away from the highway to check a phone. In that amount of time, at 55 mph, the driver could blindly travel the length of a football field, according to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

“Young people grow up multitasking. They don’t realize they are distracted,” said Stacey McShane, the Snohomish County manager of a traffic-safety program called Target Zero.

Current laws have made it illegal for drivers to text or talk on the phone, unless they use hands-free devices. Many people still get away with it.

In 2015, an inattentive driver was involved in a collision every 12 minutes, according to the state’s annual collision report.

As electronics evolve, McShane hears of new distractions that can lead to dangerous situations. A girl from Marysville was live streaming when her car went off the road and into a pond. Firefighters rescued her from the car. She continued to live stream the excitement.

It’s not just young drivers, McShane said.

Tina Meyer recently saw a friend post a video of driving down a snowy road. During McShane’s visits to local high schools she asks students if their parents use phones or fiddle with the GPS while driving. About 97 percent of them answer yes, McShane said.

Solid data collection on distracted driving is just beginning. Much of the information available is self-reported, meaning the driver admits to being inattentive at the time of a collision, McShane said.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission’s survey is its first to focus on distracted drivers statewide.

Last year, more than 4,600 collisions in Snohomish County were caused by a distracted driver, McShane said. She also suspects that distracted driving is a contributor in collisions involving pedestrians.

Tina Meyer has been working with legislators on Senate Bill 5289, a bid to tighten restrictions on the use of electronics while driving. The bill passed in the Senate on Monday. All seven senators representing Snohomish County voted in favor.

Under the proposed new law, a driver would be prohibited from using electronics for any purpose unless they are hands-free. In addition to phone calls and texting, the bill also addresses watching videos, taking or sending photos and checking email.

Some exceptions are mentioned for emergencies, transit system employees and truck drivers.

A first-time violation of the law could warrant a ticket up to $136. Additional violations could cost a driver up to $235.

Tina Meyer testified in support of the bill, as well as its companion bill in the House. Representatives passed House Bill 1371 Tuesday.

“I know the man who struck my son didn’t mean to kill him, but he did,” Tina Meyer said. “The law isn’t protecting my son.”

Police told her the driver wasn’t texting. He reportedly glanced at his phone.

Tina Meyer has accepted an invitation to join the Target Zero team. She plans to pass out pledge cards during her next visit with high-schoolers. Students and their parents are encouraged to sign the pledge, vowing to be conscientious drivers.

“Phones aren’t worth this much hurt,” she said. “That’s why I’m working so hard.”

Caitlin Tompkins: 425-339-3192; ctompkins @heraldnet.com.