Greenwood, Indiana, family fighting against distracted driving

GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — Jordan and Brooke Scherer started the Living for Logan Foundation to fight for justice and stronger consequences for distracted driving after their 9-year-old son Logan was killed in a 2016 crash.

News 8 first reported in April that the foundation helps to educate people about distracted driving and is pushing for state legislators to toughen hands-free laws. The Scherers said their passion for their mission has grown even stronger since the birth of their daughter Mila-Grace Scherer in August.

Father Jordan Scherer said, “We kind of look at Mila as a rainbow baby, sort of cues from her big brother in his passing and being on the other side that there was supposed to be a third for our family.”

The Tampa Bay Times reported Logan died, authorities said, when Gregory Andriotis slammed into the back of the family’s Mazda SUV while driving more than 100 mph in September 2016 on Interstate 75 north of Tampa, Florida. Logan’s father, mother and 5-year-old sister were hospitalized after the crash.

Andriotis is set for a jury trial on Jan. 9, according to online court records from Hernando County, Florida.

“The cellphone was being used consistently in the car of the man who hit us from the time he left his destination to when he hit us just before 3:30 in the afternoon,” Brooke said.

The Scherers started the foundation after the crash.

Brooke said, “States are starting to pass really good hands-free laws, but until everybody’s on board with that there’s not a lot of strict punishment that can happen in the court system,”

The foundation partnered with Hillsborough County Schools in Tampa to educate students on the dangers of distracted driving. It’s one of the nation’s largest school districts and where Logan attended school. The Scherer hope to expand the program in schools nationwide.

“It’s an A-to-B thing, and we don’t need to be buried in our technology while we’re doing it,” Jordan said. “We’re just trying to get people to recognize the responsibility that we have when we’re behind the wheel.”

Living for Logan is seeking community partnerships to end distracted driving. Interested partners are asked to contact info@livingforlogan.org.

The name of the foundation has been corrected in this version of the story.