This 19-Year-Old Distracted by Her Phone Paid the Ultimate Price

Her mother said she had the whole world ahead of her. Sadly, that's no longer a possibility as a 19-year-old named Alexxyss looked at her phone while driving and paid the ultimate price.

This is the story of a young girl who had a lifetime of possibilities. Here's a small snippet of what happened after one wrong decision while behind the wheel:

Alexxyss Therwanger, age 19, was killed in a car crash on February 19th, 2016 while she was driving home in eastern Oregon. Alexxyss was using her cell phone and lost control of her car, colliding with an oncoming vehicle and severely injuring two other people. Alexxyss would have just turned 20 on May 28, 2016.

By all accounts, Alexxyss Therwanger was a kind and thoughtful young lady. Her mother bravely came forward to tell Alexxyss's story in the hopes that others will learn from her mistake and not become another statistic.

It's worth emphasizing that the two people in the other vehicle suffered serious injuries also. Alexxyss decision cost her life and damaged others. The additional price is that her family now can only imagine what her life might have been.

The damage from the collision was catastrophic.

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This tragedy happened in Oregon, but the same type of accidents happen in Missouri and Illinois too. That's one reason why the Missouri Department of Transportation has become a part of our Drive Means Drive campaign to encourage complete focus when behind the wheel. Their Phone Down Buckle Up campaign saves lives when it's followed.

One life with so many possibilities like Alexxyss being lost too soon is one too many.