ST. PAUL — Ashley Lehman was seriously injured last July in a T-bone crash at a four-way intersection. She later died from her injuries. Her family is joining local traffic safety officials — and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) — in calling for safer driving this April so no one else has to feel the heartache of losing a family member to a deadly crash.

OTS is leading and coordinating a distracted driving education and extra enforcement campaign April 1-30. The campaign uses funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and includes statewide advertising.

“All of our lives changed instantly and have been turned upside down ever since. I talk to God and Ashley daily,” said Matt Lehman, Ashley’s father-in-law and Shakopee mayor. “Both tell me to use my 40 years of automotive experience and decades on racetracks to help educate and prevent the loss of innocent lives, to help other families navigate the forever nightmare and family destruction from distracted, impaired and reckless driving.”

Ashley’s family hopes others will learn from their struggle and take every step possible to avoid completely preventable traffic crashes.

“Almost every crash that happens is an avoidable tragedy. We want to protect families by reminding drivers to focus on the road,” said OTS Director Mike Hanson, who added that putting phones away and setting aside other tasks while driving saves lives. “Lives really do depend on how much attention you give the road.”

Distracted driving is deadly driving

From 2020 to 2025, there were 33,183 distracted driving crashes that resulted in:

• 888 serious injuries
• 162 fatalities

In 2025, there were:

• At least 21 fatalities related to distracted driving
• 159 serious injuries related to distracted driving

Hands-free is the law

• The hands-free cell phone law means drivers can’t hold their phone in their hand. Accessing or posting on social media, streaming videos, looking up information on a device while driving is against the law in Minnesota, even in hands-free mode.
• A driver can only use voice commands or single-touch activation without holding the phone to make calls, text, listen to music or podcasts, and get directions. Remember, hands-free is not necessarily distraction-free.

Distracted driving consequences 

• $100 or more, including court fees for a first offense.
• $300 or more, including court fees for all subsequent offenses.
• A felony charge of criminal vehicular operation or homicide if you injure or kill someone.

Drive Smart and join Minnesotans driving distracted-free 

• Cell phones: Put cell phones away, activate the “Do Not Disturb” feature, silence notifications, turn phones off, place them out of reach or go hands-free.
• Music and other controls: Pre-program radio stations and arrange music in an easy-to-access spot. Adjust mirrors and ventilation before traveling.
• Navigation: Map out the destination and enter the GPS route in advance.
• Eating and drinking: Secure drinks and avoid messy foods.
• Children: Teach children the importance of good behavior in a vehicle and model proper driving behavior.  

Passengers should speak up to stop drivers from distracted driving behavior and offer to help with anything that would take the driver’s attention off the road.  

Visit HandsFreeMN.org and DriveSmartMN.org for more information.