In most states, texting and driving is illegal. Even if it isn’t, being distracted behind the wheel is. If a driver isn’t paying attention, he or she puts others at risk. That’s a risk they shouldn’t be forcing others to take.
Unfortunately, some drivers do make the mistake of texting, and it costs others their lives. This story discusses a woman who received a text just moments before she hit another person as she drove. According to the news report, the crash took place in June when the 24-year-old woman was driving down Burlington Street. It was around 5:01 p.m., when she received a text; at 5:02 p.m., she was in a crash with a pedestrian crossing West 7th Avenue.
Looking at the woman’s phone, the police found that she had been texting someone between 4:08 p.m. and 4:47 p.m., with the last text just before the crash, allegedly. The driver claims that she didn’t see the pedestrian before the collision. The 86-year-old woman died from the impact.
An investigation allegedly showed that the young woman hadn’t applied her brakes before or after the crash with force to suggest she’d seen the woman. Now, she faces up to three years and seven days in prison for the woman’s death. She faces several charges including misdemeanor reckless driving, failing to yield, using a handheld device and felony vehicular homicide.
No driver should be looking away from the road behind the wheel. If you’re struck, understand that you have options when you’re ready to pursue a claim for compensation.
Source: Kearny Hube, “Driver allegedly got text 28 seconds before hitting, killing pedestrian in Holdrege,” Erika Pritchard, Nov. 22, 2017
