COLUMBUS, Ohio — It only takes a few seconds to buckle up — a decision that can mean the difference between life and death. For Brock Dietrich, those seconds are a painful reminder of what might have been for his daughter, Sydnee.

Sydnee Dietrich, a 17-year-old junior at Gahanna Lincoln High School and Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools, was driving on state Route 161 near Beech Road on October 18, 2013, when she reached for her phone. Her car flipped multiple times across oncoming traffic .

Sydnee, who was not wearing her seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle and died two days later. Her two passengers, both wearing seatbelts, survived.

“We set down the rules — you need to wear your seatbelt — but we didn’t explain why it was so important,” Brock said.

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