Icame here to tell youparents and teens … make some smart choices in life , ” said David Roy , whose daughter , Alyssa , was killed in a highspeed traffic accident in 2007 . Roy still mourns the death of his ever-smiling daughter . Her laugh was contagious , her spirit , cheerful . In fact , every picture of her shown on the evening of his presentation with ! MPACT ( Mourning Parents ACT ) at Windsor High School , had Alyssa’s cheery smile .

Roy died after she was ejected from the car she was travelling in . The teenage driver , a friend , was going at about 140 mph when he hit another car on Route 6 .

There is nothing more powerful than hearing about a life-changing , and in some cases , a life-ending story , from the families who have gone through it . Some parents and students were able to hear these moving stories last week when speakers from the organization Mourning Parents ACT came to share speak .

Mourning Parents ACT was invited by the Windsor Youth Commission , a group of local residents who have volunteered to keep their eyes on the youthof Windsor .

“ It’s about choices and decisions , ” echoed Roy , again and again , as he attempted to tell Alyssa’a story while holding back intense emotions . Pacing back and forth , Roy not only told the painful details of her death , but of the facts surrounding it , such as a text that Alyssa sent out just prior to the crash and a history of speeding on the part of the teenage driver whose car she was riding .

! MPACT was founded by the families of several teens who were killed in separate car crashes within an 11-day period and a 25 mile radius of one another in December of 2002 . They volunteer their personal time and resources to advance the mission of the organization .

Sherry Chapman , president and founder of the organization , also has a sad personal story to tell about her son , Ryan , who was killed in a car accident at the age of 19 . The driver of the car Ryan was travelling in has since been arrested on numerous charges , including manslaughter , and , on April 27 , 2004 , was sentenced to eight yearsin prison . Chapman said that car crashes are the number one killer of teens in America . Nearly 6 , 000 teens are killed each year. “ Imagine 13 , 747 ’s , filled to capacity with teens , crashing every year, ” said Chapman .

“ We get into the audience’s heads through their hearts . The personal and emotional stories help us to do that , ” she said . “ We don’t preach , we share . ” Chapman’s portion of the presentation to parents focused on “ how truly traumatizing and horrific it is to die or lose someone in this manner . ”

One of the things that the group supports , along with the state , is “ graduated licensing . ” To begin with , teens , upon getting their licenses , have passenger restrictions . They also have a night time curfew , cell phone restrictions including texting and zero-alcohol tolerance .

“ I wish I was as well informed way back when as I am today , ” said Chapman . “ That’s one of my deep , deep regrets . ”

The parents in the audience were extremely sobered . A box of tissues was being passed around . “ It really hit me , especially having her sit right next to me , ” said one father , as he sat next to his 14- yearold daughter , who is a student at Windsor High School . “ She is 14 , but it’s coming … ” he added .

In the meantime , Roy feels Alyssa speaks through him when he presents at these parent workshops . He feels it’s the only positive thing he can do with all the pain he has been through since her death , although he considers himself a completely changed person . “ They say time heals all – that’s a lie , time does not heal all . I come here because it’s something positive I can do with this completely negative thing that happened to me ... Sherry and I , we don’t even know yourkids , but we love yourkids , ” he said .