ORLANDO, Fla. – Two families whose daughters were killed in car crashes are working with the Orange County Tax Collector’s Office to spread awareness about the dangers of impaired and distracted driving. Friday, Bill DeMott and Bernadette Thompson both visited the Lee Vista office to share their stories and speak to drivers.
Bernadette Thompson’s daughter, Kayla Marie Thompson, died in a crash at Avalon Park Blvd. and Perdido Drive in 2019. Thompson says she was hit by a distracted driver.
“My daughter wasn’t even driving. She was the passenger in the car,” said Thompson. “She was just coming home from food shopping and this man who was not in his right mind or made the right decision, made the wrong choice and my daughter suffered for it.”
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Thompson was 23 years old, a mother of two little girls, and a student at Valencia College who had just started her career as a medical assistant. Her mother says she was loving and full of life.
“I think about her every day. I talk to her every day,” said Thompson.
After her daughter died, Thompson said she decided she would continue her legacy of helping others and make a difference.
“I felt like I needed to show a legacy of helping others, and that’s who she is. I wanted to continue that where I can help others by educating them about driving and about the safety and encourage others to become organ donors,” said Thompson. “I think it was part of her that inspired me to want to help others.”
Thompson bonded with Bill DeMott and his family, who also lost their daughter. In 2015, Keri Anne DeMott was killed by a multiple DUI offender while driving home. She was only 20-years-old.
“We don’t need any more statistics; we just need voices. So, we get to be the voice,” said DeMott. “The message is it’s not going to end, and that’s the thing that bothers me more than anything.”
DeMott’s family started the Keri Anne DeMott Foundation in her memory. They now travel nationwide to educate students, community organizations, and more with Bill’s #NoMoreEmptySeats program.
“Once I get to introduce my daughter, I ask them what’s so important that couldn’t wait?” said DeMott. “It’s real stories. It’s real people, real tragedies, and it’s happening.”
Both DeMott and Thompson have dedicated their time and efforts towards education and prevention, and they have been working with the Orange County Tax Collector’s Office to spread their message.
You can read more about their partnership on the Orange County Tax Collector’s website.
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