Text Messaging to Blame in Teen's Car Wreck?
On June 28 an SUV driven buy 17-year-old Bailey Goodman swerved into oncoming traffic and hit a truck head-on, killing herself and her four passengers instantly. Now, a report from the police states that cell phone use may have been a factor.
Apparently, Goodman made a call to people in a following car just a few minutes before the crash while she was driving. Several text messages were also sent and received from her phone during the trip. While it's not clear whether she was the one reading and thumbing the messages, this story seems to lend a little credence to New York's attempts to ban automotive texting, especially since the crash happened in New York State. However, NY's existing ban on cell phone use while driving certainly didn't stop Goodman from making calls, so it's unlikely a further ban on texting would have helped avoid this tragedy.
From Star-Gazette.com
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Bosco @ Jul 16th 2007 6:59PM
all drivers who talk, text, eat, brush their teeth should be put in prison for life withhout parole.
Trucker @ Jul 16th 2007 8:17PM
The Deadliest, invention made by mankind is the Automobile, it has ( in the hands of its operator) killed more people than all the atomic weapons, all weapons of mass distruction known to man, yet why do we the inventors/operators use, or should I say, Wantenly Misuse, such a deadly weapon. The point I am making, is, its NOT the instrument of death, it's the ignorence of it's operator that condems the innocent to "Death with out parole" PEOPLE WAKE UP. Its been proven that neither guns, nor airplane, nor bomb, nor automobile, have taken ANYONES life. It is the person/persons that controls these instruments, that needlessly take human, and animal life. Blame the "Capt. of the Ship, NOT the seas in which he sails"
TheGrimBleeper @ Jul 16th 2007 10:21PM
Cell phones in cars should be illegal to begin with. That's how it is in New York, Connecticut, and Mass.
steve martin @ Jul 16th 2007 11:07PM
Hey Bosco...what do we do with murderers, rapist and child molestors since you want to fill the jails with Cell phone violators? Think before you type moron....
Michele Washam @ Jul 17th 2007 1:05AM
I am amzed at how many BAD drivers or people driving badly I see each day that are almost ALWAYS on the phone! If you give a teen i.e. an unexperienced driver a car, that's bad enough...but then add the distraction of a cell phone and it's lethal...these kids don't have enough "driving experience" to even know how to react to certain driving situations let alone how to react to them when their pre-occupied on the phone... ALL states should ban cell phones while driving.
Lori @ Jul 17th 2007 1:13AM
This tradegy certainly could have been avoided had her parents not allowed her to drive. Her permit was a junior permit which required supervision if driving after 9 pm and did not allow for young passengers. As much as I feel for her family, the blame ultimately has to start there. She was driving when she should not have been. Add a cell phone and lack of experience, those kids didn't have a chance. My heart and prayers go out to the family and friends of all five girls. Such a waste of lives.
tom @ Jul 17th 2007 2:05AM
I pull over when I get a call, and certainly not alert enough to send a message. However I live in Saigon and there are about 6 million motor bikes on the road. Many of them send and recieve messages while traveling. How they can do this os beyound me. Laws will not stop it. I do not think it is possible to stop.
jc @ Jul 17th 2007 2:17AM
Personal cell phone jammers are available in other countries, like England. That technology should be made available here in the US, too.
Ignition systems on cars should have cell phone jammers wired to them so that when the car is running, cell phones won't work in the car. Emergency channels (911, #77, On-Star, or some such) could be kept open.
Auto manufacturers may be forced to use this technology soon if the rate of cell phone attributable deaths continue to rise.
These devices should be treated like airbags and seat belts: they may be inconvenient at times, but they are designed to save lives.
beattie @ Jul 17th 2007 3:11AM
It is NOT illegal to use a cell phone in Connecticut, you can use one if you wear a HEADSET ONLY.
Storm @ Jul 17th 2007 3:38AM
TheGrimBleeper says:
Cell phones in cars should be illegal to begin with. That's how it is in New York, Connecticut, and Mass.
===========================
This accident happened in NEW YORK. Just because it is a law... doesn't mean STUPID people won't keep doing it...
mx5rush @ Jul 17th 2007 8:13AM
I was a witness at a car accident yesterday... the dude who caused it was on the phone, and kept talking during and after the accident! His Airbags went off, and he was still talking! Then he took off! Another witness and I took off after him in our trucks and the putz turned around and came back. When I saw him in the ambulance... honest to god he was still on the phone. Insane.
Ace @ Jul 17th 2007 11:59AM
This is a generation of selfish idiots with no self-discipline or ability to understand the potential outcome of their actions. Too bad they are also taking others out with them when they make their fatal STUPID and AVOIDABLE mistakes.
morgan @ Jul 17th 2007 12:45PM
Okay, a text message did not crash the car. This girl did. It's like saying guns kill, guns dont kill idiots who play with guns kill!!!!
Andrea @ Jul 17th 2007 2:48PM
How about we stop blameing everything that goes wrong in the world on the technology that we have acumulated and start placing the blame where it belongs. This girl was obviously a inexperienced driver. When she got behind the wheel, She was putting her life and the lives of her passengers in danger, And danger she did. How about saying ok, Maybe it wsnt a cell phone, Maybe it is inexperience and rasie driving age to 21 or mandate they have more testing. Giving these children the right to drive a lethal weapon at such a young age is almost legalizing murder!
timothia alaniz @ Jul 18th 2007 12:31AM
It's no ones fault that this girl was texting or if she should not have been driving,teens now just don't realize what they do can, be wrong,or effect them, weather it be deadly or not.What happened is to bad all any one can do is let them rest in peace, and know that tragedies happen every day of our life weather we expect it or not,and not any body can stop that,I send my blessing to all thier parents and hope that they DON'T blame themselves.
beattie @ Jul 19th 2007 2:19AM
It is NOT illegal to use a cell phone in Connecticut, you can use one if you wear a HEADSET ONLY.
Greg @ Jul 19th 2007 6:30AM
So what's new?
hater critic @ Jul 19th 2007 9:51AM
all you people who say--o don't blame technology blame the driver. come on now--dont tell me that's the best response you could come up with. "maybe it was the girl's inexperienced driving" give me a break.
timothia alaniz-- i totally agree with you. and adults should stop trying to make teens look like the bad guys too. always in the media you see and hear that a teen was killed in a car accident and what was to blame? their experience? their friends? drinking? text messaging? it happens to adults too but it just doesnt get as much coverage because it wouldn't get people's attention.
billielucio2203 @ Jul 21st 2007 8:26PM
I think this accident is tragic and all my sympathy goes out to the families of the victims. I personally don't drive and text at the same time, all though I have driven and asked my friend to reply to the text message and to read it to me when I recieve one. Now if there is no one with me then I just wait till I get to a traffic light or stop to attempt to read it and reply to it if possible. As for laws banning use of cell phones while driving a motorized vehicle, I think are pointless because I see dozens of people on their phones everyday and really now with blue tooth enhanced vehicles and the ear piece itself is still distracting. There is no possible way to ban anyone from using their phone while driving because if they are on their phone and they see a police officer all they have to do is drop it on their lap or hold it down until the coast is clear.
Kassie @ Jul 23rd 2007 11:38AM
I live in Southern California, home to many of the nation's worst drivers. There is almost never a day that goes by where someone doesn't nearly cause an accident in my lane when I'm driving. Remember I live in a place overrun by legal and illegal immigrants, most of whom did not learn to drive here. It is a frightening thing. Recently when I got off the exit ramp and got to the red light, I took a look around me at the others who had just left the freeway. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that 75% of all the cars around me that I could see had a driver that was on a cell phone. Combine that fact with the fact that many of these people have very poor driving skills to begin with and we've got a real dangerous mess on our hands.