Over a decade after their daughter Merritt Levitan died due to injuries after being struck by a driver texting, her family is bringing a fundraiser to Warren to raise awareness of the dangers of texting and distracted driving.
The ride commemorates Merritt Levitan, who was struck by a texting driver in July 2013 while on a cross-country bike trip. Levitan, a high school graduate and avid skier who coached at Sugarbush, died the day after the collision. Her death inspired friends and classmates to launch TextLess Live More, a student-led organization dedicated to ending distracted driving.
Photos courtesy of TextlessLive More
Left: Merritt Levitan, killed by a distracted driver in early July 2013.
Center: TextLess Live More student
Right: High school students sign the TextLess Live More pledge
Her father Rich Levitan said that Merritt was an avid skier and athlete whose family has a long history with the Mad River Valley. At the time the 18-year-old cyclist was participating in a 3,000-mile cross-country bike ride to celebrate graduation. Following her death, her friends and family created TextLess Live More, a national campaign to end distracted driving.
TextLessLiveMore will host its first annual “Live More” Ride in the Mad River Valley this Saturday, honoring Merritt’s life. The event begins with a 40-mile loop bike ride starting at 8:30 a.m. on August 16 from the Roxbury Village School parking lot in Roxbury. Riders will gather at 8 a.m., and a post-ride barbecue will follow at noon at 1303 Fuller Hill Road in Warren.
“Merritt loved the Mad River Valley, and we can’t think of a more fitting place to honor her memory and raise awareness about digital distraction behind the wheel,” said her mother, Anna Levitan, who helped organize the event.
The Levitan family – including Merritt’s parents, Richard and Anna Levitan, sister Hunter, and brother Joseph – are expected to attend the ride, along with friends, coaches, and fellow cyclists from the 2013 trip. Also scheduled to participate is Louie Pratt, national student leader with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and chair of SADD’s Emerging Leaders Council.
The organization’s mission is rooted in peer-to-peer education and advocacy, with a focus on changing driver behavior. The group has partnered with national campaigns such as AT&T’s “It Can Wait,” and has successfully advocated for hands-free driving laws in states including Massachusetts, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
According to TextLess Live More, the goal is not only to remember Merritt but also to prevent future tragedies by educating drivers about the risks of texting, streaming, and other digital distractions while driving.
“TextLess Live More is a student-powered movement to end distracted driving and save lives,” Anna Levitt said in a statement. “Our work continues in every state, school, and home where digital distractions endanger lives behind the wheel.”
The ride is open to participants of all ages and experience levels. Non-riders are also welcome at the post-ride barbecue.
For more information, visit www.textlesslivemore.org or contact Anna Levitan at 617-571-7823 or
