• 08
  • July
    2011

An 18-year-old woman was in court earlier this week for vehicular manslaughter charges resulting from a fatal pedestrian accident occurring late last year.

The car accident took place in Dec. 2010, when the young woman was allegedly texting and speeding while driving her Honda through an intersection near Santa Rosa. The distracted teen driver struck a two-year-old toddler and her mother. The mom was able to survive the accident after spending more than four months in the hospital. Tragically, the child died.

The accident shattered the lives of all people involved, underscoring the gravity of San Francisco's distracted-driving epidemic. While text messaging is a staple of a teen lifestyle, it's sad that a fatal accident is sometimes the only way young drivers can understand the life-changing consequences that may result from texting-while-driving.

In California, it is illegal to text message while driving. It is also illegal for drivers to talk on a cell phone while driving, unless using a hands-free device such as Bluetooth technology. Regardless, many drivers - young and old - regularly disregard the law and engage in a forbidden form of distracted driving.

While distracted driving involves basically any behavior that averts a driver's attention from the road - such as talking on a phone, adjusting a radio or GPS device, or eating food - California has attempted to decrease distracted driving by the cell phone restrictions. An offense can cost the driver a fine of anywhere from $20 to $200, but, as evidenced by the Santa Rosa motor vehicle accident, the cost can be tremendously higher.

If you have been seriously injured in a car accident or pedestrian accident, contact an experienced personal injury attorney. A savvy motor vehicle accident lawyer knows how to uncover evidence of distracted driving and help shift the financial burden of a crash onto the shoulders of the party responsible, allowing you to focus on healing.

Source: kvtu.com, "Teen Driver in Alleged Fatal Texting Crash Back In Court" July 6, 2011.