Local family fights distracted driving

A New Prague family’s tragedy served as the focal point to a statewide distracted driving enforcement campaign that began this week.

A media event was held Thursday, April 6, at the farm of Joe Tikalsky on Le Sueur County Road 29, just south of New Prague. Joe, who served as a bus driver for New Prague Area Schools for 50 years, was killed in front of that home between his morning shifts in October, 2015. The driver pleaded guilty to distracted driving.

Bruce Gordon, spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, began the news conference with a simple request:

“I’m going to start by asking everyone to mute their cell phone,” he said. “We do this in theaters because it’s a distraction… Why not when we’re driving?”

The Department of Public Safety’s two-week distracted driving enforcement began Monday, April 10, and continues through April 23.

“Last year there were more than 10,000 tickets issued for distracted driving, a big jump from past years. We’re here today to help educate the public on the need to put the phones away.”

Television news crews from all the Twin Cities stations and Mankato were at the farm and several people spoke. One of them was Sylvie Tikalsky, Joe’s granddaughter and a junior at New Prague High School.

“My grandpa was special to me,” she said. “Many of my friends said he was like a grandpa to them. I’ve got so many great memories, like making sauerkraut together two weeks before he died,” she said.

“It was a tough day when I learned he died. When I found out it was because of distracted driving, it made me extremely angry. I never thought much before about texting and driving. Now, I talk about it with my friends, I’ve testified for bills to strengthen the law and I speak at schools to help kids make good decisions. I got my license last year, and made a promise not to text and drive.” She paused to wipe away tears… “And I plead with others not to text and drive.”

Greg Tikalsky, Joe’s son and Sylvie’s father, held a bright yellow jacket worn by New Prague bus drivers.

“This is what my father was wearing when he was hit,” he said. “The driver who hit him didn’t see him, but should have been able to see him a good 10 seconds before,” he said. Greg also talked about efforts to strengthen distracted driving laws.

The Tikalsky family, including Joe’s wife Emmy, was joined by several representatives from the school district bus drivers and with other area residents who once had Joe as a bus driver, including Joe Deichelborer. He was with his son Frank.

“I rode Joe’s bus when I was a kid,” Deichelbohrer said. “My children....

To see more on this story pick up the April 13, 2017 print edition of The New Prague Times.