The Impact Of Distracted Driving And High-Speed Pursuits

Kimberly Schlau began her speaking career after her daughters, Jessica and Kelli Uhl, were killed by a speeding Illinois State Trooper. He was driving at a reported speed of 126 miles per hour to respond to an accident scene which was already secured by first responders. He was also talking on his personal cell phone while driving at this high rate of speed when he lost control of the vehicle and crossed the median, driving into the girls’ car and killing them instantly.

IIn 2010, at the invitation of Chief Tim Fitch of the St. Louis County Police Department, Kim started speaking to cadets at the St.Louis Police Academy. Her presentation covers the events of the day Jessica and Kelli were killed, the subsequent investigation and the emotional toll on her and her family, in hopes that her story can impact officers on personal level and remind them of the tragic yet avoidable consequences of unnecessary high speed during pursuits and responses.

Since then, Kim has traveled across the country speaking at police academies, law enforcement conferences and other police departments, as well as continuing to speak to several local police academies on a recurring basis. Most recently she was a featured speaker at the Zero Fatalities Safety Summit held in Salt Lake City in April, and has been invited to be a speaker at the upcoming Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police in Savannah in July.

Kim has dedicated herself to talking about her daughters and the circumstances of their deaths in an effort to prevent this tragedy from happening to other families. Her story is compelling and poignant, and has been well received by thousands of officers.