(To view driving and murder statistics, scroll to the bottom of the article)
In the hustle and bustle of Acadiana, where an average of 83 murders occur every year, a more insidious killer lurks on the roads, taking far more lives than violent crime.
Distracted driving, fueled by the constant allure of mobile device, claims 146 lives every year on average.
Lolly Bourque, a grieving father who tragically buried his own son due to a distracted driving accident, advocates for change, urging everyone to put their phones down and pay attention to save lives.
His son Jesse was fatally struck by a truck driver that was on a personal call on Louisiana Highway 92 between Youngsville and Broussard. The driver didn't even notice the fact he hit Jesse on his motorcycle, and continued to drive away.
"I buried him right next to his sister, and I buried him where I was supposed to be buried," Lolly said.
The alarming truth is that distracted driving-related fatalities far outnumber homicides in Acadiana, yet this crisis often remains overlooked.
Louisiana has a law on the books that comes with a $500 ticket for texting and driving, however it does not extend to posting to social media or even watching videos while an individual drives.
This loophole has created problems and the lack of enforcement may be contributing to more wrecks in Louisiana. Ron Cszajkowski is a retired Lafayette Police Officer and currently works with the Acadiana Planning Commission.
“The way (the law is) written and how it's written – it makes it difficult for law enforcement to be real proactive with it,”Cszajkowski said. "A vehicle left parked in a driveway will not kill anyone, if a gun is in careless hands or the wrong hands or, you know, in the hands of somebody with ill intent, it can become a very dangerous situation. Same with a car."
Louisiana State Representative Mike Huval of District 46 in St Martin Parish introduced a Hands-Free Bill aimed to close this dangerous loophole, but it faced opposition, citing concerns about infringement on personal rights.
Unfortunately the bill will need a new champion, because Huval is termed out.
"The law of averages eventually is unfortunately, something bad will happen if you're texting maybe just a minor actually where you just bump someone, but it could also be where you unfortunately turn in front of somebody suddenly, and you kill somebody," Huval said. "As far as I know, the Constitution doesn't have it anywhere is where you have the right to have a cell phone in your hand."
