A New Jersey family is looking for answers as to why a sign made to honor their daughter and educate drivers about the dangers of speeding had to be taken down.

The sign stood at the Main Street exit off Route 9 North for over a decade. The sign read “Speed Kills” and featured 16-year-old Jennifer Metzger. The teen died in a crash in May 2009.

“This sign is very important to me. Please help us save this sign,” says Jennifer’s mother, Lisa Metzger.

The Metzger family says that since Jennifer’s death, they have been on a mission to educate drivers about the dangers of speeding. They have done this through a foundation in Jennifer’s name, and through the sign.

“This can happen to you. It can happen to your family. It can happen to your family member. No one's immune from this, they aren't,” says Lisa.

Lisa says that the New Jersey Department of Transportation called her last month to tell her that the sign has to be taken down within 30 days.

"He told me that he received a call from the municipality. He didn't state any names of who called stating that this sign was an ad, and it was illegal. We did not have a permit for this advertisement,” she says.

Construction trucks showed up at the off-ramp Thursday morning. It was not clear if this is related to the sign. However, for fear of the sign getting damaged or lost, the Metzgers came out and took down the sign on their own.

“If we could just save one life, that's all we meant to do with this sign and it's an avenue for education. That's all this sign is,” Lisa says.

A spokesperson for NJ DOT said they will investigate the matter and respond when more information is available.