EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU) — A Scranton mom vowed to make the roads safer when her son was tragically killed by a distracted driver.
After more than a decade of fighting for change, it will soon be illegal to use a hand-held device while driving in Pennsylvania.
This story is both heartbreaking and inspirational.
This mother has never given up on a promise made to her son after his untimely passing.
Eileen Miller says she’s a mom on a mission, not a politician.
Her son, Paul Miller Jr., was killed by a distracted driver in Monroe County on July 5, 2010.
“You know, I went to his head, and I whispered in his ear that when I found out what had caused that crash and how it had happened, that I would fight for change, and I would fight for better laws,” Eileen said.
Eileen connected with State Senator Rosemary Brown, and together, they advocated for legislation about distracted driving.
14 long years later, Senate Bill 37, known as “Paul Miller’s Law” passed both chambers of the general assembly Wednesday.
“We knew it was going to be up on the calendar, I watched it live, and I screamed, I cried,” Eileen continued.
Drivers found using a mobile device while driving will be fined $50.
The measure will also promote education on distracted driving with minors by adding a question about it to the driver’s exam.
“We just know that this will save lives but to me as a mom when I’m driving, the best thing really is the off button on the phone. There’s no text, no phone call, no Snapchat, no, nothing that is worth the life of losing a loved one to something so preventable,” Eileen explained.
Miller is determined to make a difference in memory of her son.
“Everybody’s like, okay you’ve reached your goal now, you’re gonna stop, and I’m like no, I will never stop advocating for safer roads, never,” Eileen added.
The next step is for Governor Shapiro to sign the bill into law, who previously said he supports it.
