Father gives tearful message about distracted driving in Wadena
Logan gave students gift -- a Deej decal to put on their cell phone to remind them to not text and drive. Dana Cantleberry/WDC Schools.
Matt Logan visited WDC to encourage students to not text and drive. Dana Cantleberry/WDC Schools.A father in southeastern Minnesota whose daughter was killed in a texting-while-driving crash is spreading the message to teen-agers about the dangers of distracted driving.
Matt Logan's 17-year-old daughter, Deej, died five years ago. She was texting as she was driving home on the first day of her senior year when she slammed into the back of a school bus. She later died at a hospital.
The cause was the last thing family members would have expected. In fact, Logan said his daughter had always coached others to never text and drive, even to the point of taking phones away from her family members.
Since his daughter's death in September 2012, Logan has made it his mission to warn others to put down their phones when they drive and to make better choices.
"Distracted driving is a choice," emphasized Logan. "My daughter made a bad choice. Now she's never going to turn 18, she's never going to graduate."
WDC students in grades 8-12 gathered in the gym to hear Logan's powerful message this week. Logan had a slideshow going as he talked featuring photos of his beautiful daughter before the accident, as well as photos showing the school bus with her vehicle barely recognizable. He also included some lighter moments into his presentation. Logan gave students gift—a Deej decal to put on their cell phone to remind them to not text and drive.
One WDC student said Logan's presentation was the best he'd ever heard.