FORT LORAMIE, Ohio – A Fort Loramie woman is using a tragedy that happened to her family to remind others of the dangers posed to farmers while on the road in tractors or other farm equipment.

John Fullenkamp was 36 when he was killed June 16, 2018, while riding on his tractor and pulling a sprayer. He was traveling from one farm field to another a short distance away. He was hit from behind by a 54-year-old woman on Ohio Route 29 in Shelby County. The woman later admitted in court she was shopping online with her cell phone at the time of the crash, according to media reports.

John and Leah Fullenkamp had been married 12 years when he died; their four children ranged in age from 9 years to 8 months at the time. John was killed the day before Father’s Day.

Leah Fullenkamp started a website – https://intheblinkofafly.com/ – in August 2019. The site includes blogs on distracted driving, parenting and widowhood.

“My goal is that our story won’t become your story,” explained Fullenkamp, who was 33 at the time of her husband’s death. “I wanted to share our story from our point of view. In small town America, everyone is curious, they want to know how you’re doing.”

In addition to the site, Fullenkamp makes presentations at schools and to groups of adults. “I knew I wanted to do something pretty much right away,” she said. “I talk about how quickly everything can change. I talk about the grief process. And I talk about how fast you can come upon farm machinery on the road when you’re going 60 and the machinery may be going 12 mph.”

Fullenkamp named her site ‘In the Blink of a Fly’ because of something she and her family noticed after her husband died. “It was the craziest thing. Almost immediately after John died, we noticed a fly that would come and hang around us. One of his co-workers came over and the fly would come over to us when we talked about him. We noticed it whenever the kids would have a bad day – the fly would land on them. We don’t have a lot of flies here. It would also come when we were outside.”

She wondered about the possible meaning behind the fly, so she looked it up. “I found two meanings – one is that someone would like to talk with you. Also, flies can survive in the (worst) of situations. It’s a symbol of strength.”

In investigating the crash, the sheriff’s department found the woman had 16 seconds to look up and see John, Fullenkamp noted. It was also determined the woman hit her brakes one second before running into the tractor and sprayer, she added.

“When you’re driving, you should realize it’s not about you,” Fullenkamp said. “Is there anything you’ve done on a phone that’s worth killing someone else for?”

Last year in Ohio, seven people were killed and 163 injured in traffic crashes involving farm vehicles and equipment, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The agency defines such crashes as any involving one or more vehicles designated as farm equipment and/or special function farm.

John had farmed with his parents before he and Leah were married. Leah’s father died in 2015 and the following year, she and John bought his farm. Today, John’s brother farms the Fullenkamp land and Leah rents out her dad’s farm to an uncle.

In addition to the website, Fullenkamp has written a handbook, A Guide for When I Am Gone, that allows people to leave in instructions for those left behind when they die, such as final wishes and other information.

“(The book) is about all the things that come up after you die. You may not care anymore but do you want people to fight over things? You should have a will. It doesn’t matter what you decide, but decide something. John and I had wills but I’ve talked to many who don’t.”

Fullenkamp participates in a group of people in situations similar to hers. “We call it the greatest group you never want to be a part of,” she said. “It helps because it shows you that someone else is going through the same struggles.”

Fullenkamp may be contacted through the website or through her Facebook page, also named In The Blink Of A Fly.