When someone gets behind the wheel of a vehicle and doesn’t take steps to pay attention and put down his or her devices, it puts others at risk. Drivers who text or participate in activities other than driving when they’re behind the wheel may not see trouble approaching. They may miss stop signs or run red lights, causing serious crashes.

Take for example this case. A 21-year-old man was allegedly texting to his friends when he allowed his vehicle to go off the road and onto the shoulder on Route 248. On the shoulder, a 12-year-old child was walking home with her siblings.

The 21-year-old man stayed at the scene and was so distraught police reported that they had to try to interview him twice. The child’s father believes that despite that, the young man needs to face the courts for what he did.

Looking at the man’s phone, it showed that his last text went out only a minute and two seconds before the 911 call that reported him hitting the child.

The man has since been arraigned, now facing felony charges for homicide by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter. The judge decided to grant him unsecured bail due to this being his first time in court. He has no criminal record and was not speeding or drunk when the crash happened.

Texting while driving isn’t worth the consequences. Looking away from the road for even a few seconds is enough time to cause a serious collision. If you’re hurt by a driver who was texting, you have a right to seek compensation and to see that he or she faces repercussions.

Source: The Morning Call, “DA says driver of car that killed Palmer girl was texting, calls her death ‘preventable’,” Riley Yates, Nov. 28, 2017