It’s a story about eight seconds that forever changed the lives of two families – eight seconds a distracted driver wishes he could take back.

In a Minnesota Department of Public Safety video released today called “Eight Seconds – One Fatal Distraction”, Sam Hicks discusses the moments leading up to the fatal crash that took the life of 54-year-old Robert Bursik and the message he wants to share with drivers.

On February 27, 2018, Hicks was driving on Highway 36 near Stillwater when he looked down at his phone for eight seconds after receiving a text from his girlfriend. Traveling at 63 mph, Hicks rear-ended Bursick’s car, which was stopped at a stoplight. Bursik was a husband and father of three at the time he died.

Distracted driving has contributed to 25 deaths on state roads and is one of the leading causes of traffic fatalities. Texting while driving has been illegal in Minnesota since 2008. The state added a hands-free law last year prohibiting holding a phone while driving.

By — Lakeland News