GARDEN CITY, Kan. (KSNW) - A distracted truck driver who caused a crash that killed a southwest Kansas teen is going to jail for 30 days. Cassandra "Cassy" Linder, 16, died after the distracted driver hit her car in 2023. "She was a straight-A student in high school. She loved hanging out with her friends. She loved being active in school. She was in JUCO. She was active in dance. She loved being a coach. She was a coach for the track team, the basketball team. She was involved, and she was going to follow in her sister Amy's footsteps and go to KU," her father Todd Linder said. Todd disagrees with the plea deal but tells KSN he will keep fighting for his daughter. "Our family really disagreed with the plea deal. We would have liked to see it go to trial. But we're also not attorneys. We're just regular Kansans who had to endure this pain because of somebody else's actions," he said. Todd says that a month in jail for taking a person's life isn't fair, but it's a sentence he has to live with. He's now making it his mission to end distracted driving. "I wake up every day, and the first thought when I wake up is my daughter. The last thought that I have when I go to sleep at night is my daughter," Todd said. Roadside memorial set up for Kansas teen killed by distracted driver He is fighting so his daughter's legacy lives on. "We've set up booths on distracted driving and giving out the cards and the decals in the wristbands. We've done one last week in Topeka in the rotunda. We've written our legislative bodies so hundreds and hundreds of emails asking for more awareness," Todd said. He is working to raise awareness of distracted driving in every way he can. "Our family has decided that we would start giving out our floor mats of the sunflower that represents our daughter, which say do not drive distracted," Todd said. "If we can save one life, then it's all worth it. We don't want one person anywhere to go through what we have had to go through." Cassy's family has given out 41 mats so far throughout Kansas. They are also handing out cards to remind people about the dangers of distracted driving. "And you know what," Todd said. "Sometimes that's all we need is a little reminder, sometimes to not drive distracted and stay off our phones." For a life taken too soon. "She was going to be somebody, she was going to be a superstar," Todd said. Todd's work doesn't just stop at schools or cities. Currently, vehicular homicide is a misdemeanor. Todd tried to get state lawmakers to pass a bill making it a felony this session, but it didn't gain traction and didn't make it out of committee. However, he's not giving up hope. "It's up to our legislators in the House and Senate who we vote for to change the laws, and we have to be that voice for Cassy to try to change the laws in Kansas when it involves commercial motor vehicles and vehicular homicide," Todd said. Data from the Kansas Department of Transportation shows 102 people died and more than 450 people were hurt in crashes due to distracted driving in 2023. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. ...read more read less