When Mike and Mary Lutzenkirchen returned to their Marietta home after attending mass on June 29, 2014, an ominous sticky note awaited them. It was there on the front door, scrawled with 10 digits and a simple message: “Call this number.” The dread was instant.
Mike called and was greeted by the voice of the Troup County coroner who delivered the news. Philip —the third of the Lutzenkirchens’ four children, their only son, a mama’s boy, Mike’s best friend, a beloved former Auburn University football player — was gone. He died in a car accident. He was just 23 years old.
Philip had attended a party at a farm in LaGrange. He and three friends left the party in the wee hours of morning on June 29 to go to a gas station. After they made their stop, the Tahoe headed back to the farm, just three miles away. Three of the young 20-somethings, including the driver and Philip, weren’t wearing seatbelts. They had also been drinking. When the car flew off the road, it hit a ditch, it hit a ravine, it went airborne, and flipped. Two survived. The driver and Philip were killed.
Mere days later, as the Lutzenkirchens grappled with their devastation, a new purpose began to take shape.
“We never thought this would happen to one of our kids,” said Mike, 60. “Drinking, speeding, going out after midnight, distracted, no seatbelts. You’d never expect something like this to happen to Philip because he always had a great perspective and he made good decisions. But Philip’s story isn’t unique in that we all make mistakes. There’s only been one who didn’t sin and that was Jesus Christ. I’m not mad at Philip. I just wish so badly he’d shown up at that farm and asked for everyone’s keys and showed the leadership he’d shown his whole life. He didn’t, and now I know God’s plan for the rest of my life. I want to save lives.”
The Lutzie 43 Foundation was founded in the fall of 2014, named in tribute to Philip’s football number at Auburn. The non-profit works to inspire people to make better decisions as drivers and friends.
Their 43 Key Seconds Initiative reminds drivers to take 43 seconds to ensure they have a clear head, clear hands, clear eyes and click it before turning the key. They sell an orange and blue key set brandishing their slogans, designed to be a reminder and safety awareness tool.
Mike, who had a previous career with IBM and helped start-up companies with their sales and business development, now runs the foundation full time. He often travels to Safe Driving Summits, hosted by hospitals, sports teams, corporations, high schools and colleges to be a keynote speaker.
The foundation also awards a $4,300 Prepared for Life Scholarship, given annually to students who have demonstrated outstanding character in the areas of service and leadership. They recently awarded their 94th scholarship and plan to give 15 in 2024.