Seth Voorhees

Argyle Teen Motivated by Friend's Loss in Distracted Driving Campaign

Janae Cook launched the Text Free for Tita campaign in remembrance of her friend

A teen pageant winner from Argyle is using her platform to fight distracted driving. The drive to change people's driving habits stems from a personal loss.

At Liberty Christian School, the end of summer vacation means reconnecting with friends. It is a time Janae Cook looked forward to.

"It's really fun," she said.

For the freshman, walking the halls of the upper school isn't easy, because someone's missing.

"You're playing on the trampoline with them like I was with Tita, and the next day everything could just go away," she said.

Emma Shaffer -- "Tita" to her friends -- was twelve. Two years ago she and her mom, Emma, were among four people killed in a head on crash on U.S. Route 77 just outside Argyle. Ashley Morgan and her four-year-old daughter Lorelei were also killed. Police said the driver of the other car was texting when it happened.

"Going to Denton is so hard," Cook said of the trip, which takes her past where the crash happened. "And it makes me so mad because I see people on their phones all the time."

Friends since first grade, Janae said Tita was with her in spirit last month as she competed in the Royal International Miss Pageant in Orlando.

“I definitely think she was there," Cook said.

A pageant she won, with the help of her campaign against distracted driving, called Text Free for Tita.

"The life you or I save could be your kid's," she said. "You don't want to go through the pain of losing someone that's so close to you."

Janae said winning the pageant will give her a new platform for her campaign to save lives. It is a battle she's not fighting alone.

“No one realizes how dangerous it is until it personally affects you," she said.

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