A Deadly Wandering

Reggie is a 17-year-old who on September 22, 2006, while driving from Tremonton, Utah to Logan, Utah drifted over the center line, causing an accident that killed Jim Furfaro and Keith O’Dell. He is involved in one of the first criminal court battles litigating a fatality due to texting and driving. He initially maintains that he wasn’t texting but finally admits it after hearing expert testimony. He accepts a plea agreement and is initially sentenced to thirty days of jail time, after which he tells his story to both young people and legislators. He is instrumental in getting a distracting driving bill passed in Utah.

Furfaro and O’Dell are two rocket scientists working at ATK Systems, where they help build rocket boosters. Jim was driving the Saturn headed from Logan and Keith was his passenger. Jim had two daughters: Cassidy (age 3) and Stephanie (age 7) at the time of his death. Jim studied mechanical engineering and Keith was an expert handyman who fixed everything around the house. 

Terryl is a victims advocate working for the Cache County attorney’s office. She gets involved in Reggie’s case through her friendship with Jackie Furfaro and eventually pushes for the case to be brought to trial.