WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Across the United States, there is a spike in teenage deaths behind the wheel between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day, according to AAA.
It’s called the "100 Deadly Days of Summer," and too many families across the Hampton Roads region understand this pain.
The News 3 Investigative Team met up with Christy King who lost her son back in 2020.
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The incident happened on a winding road tucked behind the small Williamsburg Jamestown Airport.
King took News 3 to the place where her 18-year-old son Christopher died — on Independence Day in 2020.
Christopher was hanging with friends at a little beach behind the airport.
A few of them took off in a friend’s convertible, King said, so they could run to the bathroom, and then came back to the hangout spot.
“The driver responsible for Christopher’s death jumped in the driver seat and took off down that road as fast as he could,” said King.
The driver reached speeds of over 80 miles an hour and had both drugs and alcohol in his system at the time, King said.
The posted speed limit on that road is 30 mph.
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“The kids were screaming at him to stop,” said King. "He went around the curve, ran off the road again. One of the kids that was there said that Christopher’s last words were, ‘You can’t take the corner that fast.'"
Christopher wasn’t wearing his seat belt.
Tragically, the bright teen who had just graduated from Jamestown High School was gone.
Friends and loved ones have a memorial set up at the spot near where he died.
“Definitely the worst thing that would ever happen to you,” said King. "You never want to get that call, that knock on the door in the middle of the night that your son is dead."
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The CDC reports that motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for teens in the U.S.
Those deaths increase between Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to AAA, who have dubbed it the "100 Deadly Days of Summer."
King is now on a mission to save more lives and change Virginia laws. She speaks in schools, organizations and lawmakers.
“Really educate our teens and kids about the importance of buckling up and driving safely, put down the phones down,” said King. "It’s such an epidemic right now."
She created a non-profit called, the Christopher King Foundation in her son’s name and has a car show coming up in June to raise awareness and money.
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With the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reporting that Virginia has one of the lowest seat belt compliance rates in the country, King is fighting for more legislation on seat belts and tougher penalties.
“There’s a lot of opportunity to improve and save lives,” said King.
She has a similar goal as Deputy Brad Hughes. Both advocates speak to youth across the region about driving safety.
“It helps me get through the day-to-day pain that I have to go through mentally and physically,” said Hughes.
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The now-Powhatan deputy was struck by a distracted driver while working a 17-car pileup in Chesterfield County back in 2014.
“On impact, I lost my right leg, and once I got to the hospital, the doctor said he had to take my left leg,” said Hughes.
Both King and Hughes have turned their tragedies and pain into education to try to prevent teens from making fatal mistakes — especially during these deadly days.
“If I can save one life, let one person remember to buckle up, that’s why I do it,” said King. "That’s why I share Christopher's story."
