LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A Louisville mother is calling for stricter distracted driving laws after a 2022 crash on Interstate 71 killed her young daughter, with no charges filed against the driver.
Alyssa Burns’ daughter, Camberleigh, would now be five years old. Instead, Burns keeps her ashes in an urn.
“You wonder what they’d look like, you wonder who they’d be now. It’s surreal,” Burns said.
Story Highlights
Louisville mother pushing for stricter distracted-driving laws after 2022 crash killed her daughter
Crash report cited inattention; no charges filed against driver, prosecutor says evidence didn’t meet threshold
Proposed Phone-Down Kentucky Act passed Senate but was never heard in the House
The crash happened on Oct. 28, 2022.
That morning, Burns said Camberleigh — known as “Cammie” — had a waffle for breakfast and wore a unicorn and rainbow shirt. Burns and her boyfriend were driving the nearly 2-year-old to her grandmother’s home when traffic slowed to a near stop on I-71.
Burns said she glanced back at her daughter, who sat in her car seat with sleepy eyes and a pacifier. Moments later, a white truck slammed into their blue Toyota Camry.
A witness told police the truck “didn’t even seem like it ever braked.”
“I blinked and she’s gone. There’s no way to describe that,” Burns said.
The coroner reported that Camberleigh was nearly decapitated.
“They had to piece my daughter together to have an open casket so her mother could see her for the last time,” she said.
The crash report listed inattention as the only contributing factor.
Prosecutors did not file charges against the driver. In a letter to Burns, the Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said the driver’s actions did not meet the threshold for criminal prosecution.
“He was going too fast and couldn’t stop — that’s murder,” Burns said.
Kentucky remains one of the few states without a comprehensive statewide ban on handheld phone use while driving. Burns is now advocating for stricter laws and has taken her message to lawmakers in Frankfort.
“My daughter deserves to be here,” Burns said during testimony.
The Phone-Down Kentucky Act, which would ban drivers from holding or using a phone while driving, passed the Senate this session but was not taken up in the House.
Burns said she will continue pushing for change in hopes of preventing similar tragedies.
When asked about the decision not to file charges, the commonwealth’s attorney’s office said the case could be reconsidered if new evidence emerges, though investigators have already closed the case.
In a statement, the office said it “thoroughly and independently reviewed” the case and determined it did not meet the standard for felony prosecution based on available evidence.
The statement added that the office prioritizes roadway safety and would review any new evidence if presented by law enforcement.
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