Family’s Vigil For Deceased Son Aims To Raise Distracted Driver Awareness

Port Orange, FL – This weekend, a Port Orange family is asking the public to join them in raising distracted driver awareness near the same intersection where their son was killed. Laurie Friend lost her son, Ryan Friend, when he was struck and killed on September 25, 2019 at the intersection of Nova Road and Miles Drive; an dangerous intersection according to Friend. This coming Saturday (September 25) marks the second anniversary of Ryan’s death. Friend told News Daytona Beach that she and her family plan to hold a candlelight vigil at the same intersection. And besides honoring Ryan’s life, Friend says she plans to raise awareness with this vigil. "We want to bring awareness to the fact that distracted drivers are on the rise here in Port Orange,” said Friend. “We need to make people aware that this is a growing problem more so than ever in Port Orange.” Besides the vigil, there will also be a balloon release that will be kicked off by Port Orange Mayor Don Burnette. The Port Orange Police Department (POPD)—who will be handling the traffic near the event—will also conduct a drive-by past the vigil and the intersection, followed by other cars and motorcycles. The vigil is set to begin at 7 p.m. Road to Remedy Following Ryan’s passing, Laurie and her family protested the POPD, as they felt the investigation into Ryan’s death wasn’t thorough enough. The goal of their protest was to have the department correct the citation issued to the driver that hit and killed Ryan.  It was after the protest that the POPD issued a statement saying their investigation “did not reveal the existence of any elements of reckless driving consistent with the willful and wanton disregard for the safety of persons on the part of the driver of the vehicle.” While the family may have not corrected the citation, they did catch the eye of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), which kicked off a study to find out how they can improve the intersection. According to Friend, FDOT approved a change to the intersection and plans to hold a public meeting sometime in October once a venue is selected. Additionally, the City of Port Orange proclaimed September as Distracted Driver Awareness month in honor of Ryan.