I hope you never, never have to watch a grieving parent explain the details of their child’s death. It is perhaps the most awful thing I have had to do in all my years practicing law. You cry, you try to talk, and you cry some more. Parents are not supposed to outlive their children.

  I share this story in hopes of helping you prevent a tragedy in your own family.

  Mike Lutzenkirchen, a father, returned home from church one day to find a note on his front door instructing him to call a specific number. When he did, he was met with the words, “Coroner’s office.” This happened nearly ten years ago, but the pain for him feels as fresh as if it occurred yesterday.

  Mike’s son, Philip, was the Auburn tight end who caught the winning pass in the 2010 Iron Bowl. Life was pretty good. But a few years after that, he made a casual but ultimately deadly decision. It seems so minor in hindsight. He got into a vehicle without buckling up.

  Philip’s friends wanted a can of chewing tobacco from a convenience store. So, he decided to get in the back seat of the Tahoe and go along for the ride. Only one of the young men used a seatbelt.

  When the accident happened, the driver was going 77 miles an hour and ran a stop sign. The truck hit an embankment and flipped as it sailed through the air. Philip landed 15 feet from the SUV. In an instant, the 23-year-old was dead. The driver was also killed.

  To me, here is the remarkable part of the story. For 10 years, Philip’s dad, Mike, has been actively speaking to high school and college-aged children about the importance of seatbelts and the dangers of distracted driving. He says he’ll continue the mission for another 10 years.

  I can’t imagine the emotional toll of repeatedly discussing your son’s death. Still, he believes that sharing his story can help prevent others from enduring a similar tragedy.

  I was reminded of this heartbreaking event from an article on AL.com written by Rick Karle. Read more here.

With the holidays approaching, please take a moment to remind your children about the importance of seatbelt safety and the dangers of distracted driving. Like Mike, I hope you never have to share your own version of this devastating story.

If you are injured in a personal injury accident , you can talk to us at the law firm of Steele Ritchie for free. We genuinely want to help. We are local attorneys with decades of experience helping people, especially in the southwest Mobile area.

Give us a call at (251) 666-1212. We are proud to be called the “personal injury lawyers near me” by many people here in Mobile and Baldwin Counties.

Allen Ritchie

Alabama Personal Injury Lawyer

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