Topic: toddler killed in crosswalk by 'distracted' driver

[flybox1]

Quit F*^#ing texting while you are driving a car! 


BELLINGHAM, WA. -- A young girl crossing the street in Bellingham was killed in a collision caused by a speeding car Thursday afternoon. Police say the teenage driver of that car was distracted and has been arrested for vehicular homicide.

The accident happened at about 3 p.m. near Assumption Catholic Elementary School at Cornwall and Virginia streets. The girl was hit outside of the school not long after classes were dismissed, but it's unclear if she attended that school. The girl was with her mother and two siblings, ages 8 and 5, when she was hit.

Police say they were crossing the street when the driver of a black car stopped to let them pass. That's when a silver Jetta, driven by 17-year-old female Bellingham High School Student, came from behind and hit the black car, forcing it into the crosswalk and into the little girl.

“I’d say she was dragged maybe five feet from where they were crossing," said witness Ryan Knight. “I saw the mother right afterwards, screaming and crying, because she knew, she saw. The mother saw it happen."

Police say the driver of the Jetta was distracted. They obtained a search warrant to see if she was using her cell phone at the time of the crash.

Nobody else was injured. Police say the mother had been responsibly holding the children's arms while they were walking through the crosswalk.

[Alan F.]

Terrible.

The anti-texting law in Massachusetts went into effect yesterday, cops were out in force pulling over and fining the uninformed and the beligerant. $100 for the first offence.  The law also prohibits any mobile device use for junior operators.

Strangely you can still legally dial and talk on a handheld phone while driving, but they can bust you for texting while stopped in traffic.

[j squared]

Terrible.

The anti-texting law in Massachusetts went into effect yesterday, cops were out in force pulling over and fining the uninformed and the beligerant. $100 for the first offence.  The law also prohibits any mobile device use for junior operators.

Strangely you can still legally dial and talk on a handheld phone while driving, but they can bust you for texting while stopped in traffic.

Same here in Georgia, new law went into effect a few months ago.

[Bob Wessner]

Very sad. Personally, I would like to see all cell phone use banned (text or calling) in vehicles. The lobbyists would prevent it, but I would like to see some technology built into cars the prevents all cell phone use while the ignition is on. If it's that important, pull over someplace safe and make/take your call. Don't even get me started on all the distractions Ford is starting to include in their vehicles.  

[flybox1]

Completely understand the reasoning for these laws. 
what its really going to do is make people conceal or hold their device lower in their laps, which makes it even harder to pay attention to your driving..

[bikerbart]

What a horrible shame.It happened right near my house,and everyday I pick up my 4 yr old from daycare and walk across a major street at a crosswalk,the kind with the flashing yellow light when you hit the button.I cant tell you how many times cars almost hit me.Sad,very sad.

[Alan F.]

Completely understand the reasoning for these laws. 
what its really going to do is make people conceal or hold their device lower in their laps, which makes it even harder to pay attention to your driving..

You can't conceal much when you're constantly looking down and weaving from lane to lane.  Cops know what to look for, they don't need to see you texting to pull you over for suspicious distracted driving.

[Gordon]

I don't agree that more laws need to be made.  It's pointless, wasteful legislation that won't do anything to deter most offenders.  What needs to happen is the penalties for causing a wreck while willfully impaired, and hurting or killing another person, need to be drastically increased.  

If you can get put in prison for killing somebody while driving drunk, then why shouldn't you suffer the same consequences for killing the same person because you were texting instead of paying attention to the road? Both were conscious decisions you made which impaired your ability to control your car.  Same thing if you're turned around yelling at your kids, or watching your GPS instead of the actual road, or painting your nails.  

We also need much stronger requirements for getting a driver's license.  I know, at least here in the U.S., driving is basically considered a right, but it isn't.  It's a privilege, and it needs to be treated that way.  

For several years in Texas, a 16 year old kid could pass a Driver's Ed. class (which are pitiful), go take a quick test on a computer at the DPS, and be handed a license.  No behind-the-wheel test at all!    

[Duke McDukiedook]

This is a case of wonton recklessness, I would say 2nd degree murder- manslaughter is too light in a case like this.

To me it's about the same as waving around a gun in a crowd of people with your finger on a hair-trigger- you are gonna kill someone sooner or later.

[kirkn]

but I would like to see some technology built into cars the prevents all cell phone use while the ignition is on. If it's that important, pull over someplace safe and make/take your call.

+1!!

On my daily commute, I see at least one person EVERY DAY texting while driving.  And 5 ~ 10 minimum talking away on cell.

I've told everyone in my circle - don't bother calling me during 'commuting' hours, cause I won't answer it if I'm driving.  And I constantly have to nag my wife to do the same.  She's as bad as anyone - almost a stereotype - blonde mom driving a minivan while yakking to her mother or her girlfriends.  Sigh.

[flybox1]

IIRC, in WA, its a 2ndary offense.  
they cant bust you for talking on or texting unless they see you do something else.
the preliminary charge for this teen is vehicular homicide...

"According to a study released by The Allstate Foundation and National Organizations for Youth Safety, teenage girls are much more likely to engage in texting and driving than their male counterparts. The organizations surveyed 605 drivers between the ages of 16 and 20. Here's a quick bullet list of some of the study's more interesting findings:

87-percent of teens think that driving and texting is dangerous.
Despite this, 80-percent of teenage girls and 58-percent of teenage boys admitted to texting behind the wheel.
65-percent have asked someone to stop driving dangerously.
Texting-while-driving was second only to icy roads for the most dangerous driving condition. It also beat out rain, snow, and talking on the phone. "

[switchum]

Completely understand the reasoning for these laws. 
what its really going to do is make people conceal or hold their device lower in their laps, which makes it even harder to pay attention to your driving..

You can't conceal much when you're constantly looking down and weaving from lane to lane.  Cops know what to look for, they don't need to see you texting to pull you over for suspicious distracted driving.

  It is actually reported that those states which have anti-texting law has more accidents caused by personal devices than the states don't. There are people who are gonna do it regardless.  I can not fathom the grief the mother.... Also the Black car driver seeing the little girl disappearing under the grill and the feeling of the squash through the wheel.

  Sad.... I hate teenagers. I even hated myself when I was one....

[Damfino]

Very sad. Personally, I would like to see all cell phone use banned (text or calling) in vehicles. The lobbyists would prevent it, but I would like to see some technology built into cars the prevents all cell phone use while the ignition is on. If it's that important, pull over someplace safe and make/take your call. Don't even get me started on all the distractions Ford is starting to include in their vehicles.  

I agree with you there Bob. Everyday, distracted driving get's worse, and yet the car companies keep creating new ways to take our eyes & attention away from the task of driving. What gives? 

[gmonkey]

Some company is starting a service whereby you associate an account with your license plate that allows people to send you a text message if they know what it is.  The purpose is to let drivers communicate with each other on the road.  The example given in the article I found this out from was if you spot someone with a flat tire you can let them know.  How irresponsible the idea is wasn't mentioned.

[dave500]

any phone used in a car without a proper hands free device attracts a 300 dollar fine and three points here in queensland,as flybox said about the phone being held in the lap that has also been brought up here,we get plain scruffy dressed cops standing on the street with a radio to call a waiting patrol ahead to catch people with no seat belt or phone use etc,i see heaps of texting everyday as im a little higher in a truck,its my pet peeve at the moment,if i blow the horn they suddenly look up and think theyve done something wrong,if the black car wasnt there she would have plain run straight over them herself,a terrible way to show that distractions of any kind can cause deaths,even changing a cd or fiddling with a gps can have the same out come.im cautious on foot crossing the roads and trust no one even if i have a green walk signal.,you even see people walking head down texting crossing the street,just not paying attention to anything around them.

[Damfino]

we get plain scruffy dressed cops standing on the street with a radio to call a waiting patrol ahead to catch people with no seat belt or phone use etc,

They did a similar sting in Buffalo Grove, Illinois after the state passed the law. They had policemen in casual wear posing as charity solicitors at the intersections. They walked up & down the rows of cars looking for violators and nailed quite a few.

[dave500]

we get plain scruffy dressed cops standing on the street with a radio to call a waiting patrol ahead to catch people with no seat belt or phone use etc,

They did a similar sting in Buffalo Grove, Illinois after the state passed the law. They had policemen in casual wear posing as charity solicitors at the intersections. They walked up & down the rows of cars looking for violators and nailed quite a few.

nyuck nyuck nyuck.

[cb650]

could have been the same out come if she was putting on makeup.
know someone hit by a girl doing this.   How about the stupid dog in the lap?   ok is a map on the steering wheel ok?   its not the evil; fone but the idiot behind the wheel that maybe shouldnt be driving to begin with.  BWTFDIK

[Gordon]

could have been the same out come if she was putting on makeup.
know someone hit by a girl doing this.   How about the stupid dog in the lap?   ok is a map on the steering wheel ok?   its not the evil; fone but the idiot behind the wheel that maybe shouldnt be driving to begin with.  BWTFDIK

My sentiments exactly...

[Brown Bomber]

     Three years ago a 17 year old girl knocked my Concours out from under me because she was looking down at her phone and didn't see my brake lights, so this stuff gets my blood boiling.
     I have mixed emotions about putting restrictions on phone usage because the idiots will try to hold the phone out of sight, making them take their eyes farther from the road, but I've seen them do that anyway so they can focus on the texting. You can see by their actions that the are literally putting the driving second! You just can't fix stupid. You can do your damnedest to avoid it, but there's a good chance some idiot is going to get you in a corner no matter what you do to steer clear of them.
     Last night I was riding with two friends on a divided 4 lane at about 65mph when I noticed the idiot in the SUV beside me texting away. We were already going 10mph over, and that idiot was passing us on the right!
     It really saddens me to hear about someone getting killed because of that kind of stupidity, but it doesn't surprise me
     

[seaweb11]

This carnage is everywhere and every day

We have some new LAWS here in BC now.
1st: No hand held devices period!

2nd: Get caught doing anything over 20 kph over the limit which equals 12.43 mph and they tow your car/ like NOW! , and lock it away for a few days, huge fine, storage and tow costs.

3rd: Blow anywhere near .05 and consider your car towed, like now, and locked away for a few days, storage and tow costs.

BC is not fooling around anymore.

One more sort of related?  4th: You can't smoke inside a car with any child under the age of 16.

[the technological J]

i dont text while driving but.. whenever i use my phone i have my hands on top of the steering wheel if i have to look at my phone its my eyes have barely left the road... i think the biggest prob is that people keep thier phones at thier lap and take thier eyes waaayyy off the road and then are oblivious... its one thing to move your eyes from the road another to turn ur entire head... i think that this girl is guilty and deserves alot more than a slap on the wrist

[Spanner 1]

Very sad, it's one child killed another..... a lack of education for the 17 yr. old in the car, the same lack of ed. for anyone using a phone in a car to text.......... I keep seeing it on the Interstate when I'm alongside someone. My response is to honk, actually hold my finger on the horn for at least 30 secs. That's my response, all I can think of as I pass a texter in action, so obvious with their eyes down and 'drifting' on the road.... probably the ultimate 'dumb' elective thing to do while driving IMO is texting.

[seaweb11]

Even dialing a phone, or finding it in your pants pocket, or purse, or coat when it rings, or rambling on and on about nothing while I'm on the road is out of line.
Sorry, but the only way I know someone isn't drunk,  is when I get up along side and see the #$%*ing phone in their hand!

[Spanner 1]

Totally agreed Web, anything more than a quick yes/no call while driving is a big no-no.... any discussions that involve ' semantics', opinions, long explainations don't belong on the road. Too many people use their driving time to make their calls !!..... a 10 minute call on the phone covers 10 miles on the road , can you remember that 10 miles while you were so distracted  , or are you superman/women 

[ferroussphinx]

just another sad day 


yep my heart goes out to all involved


the mother and her family

and the person in that black car


mostly the teenager and the teens parents    if you have any indication that your child texts more than they listen to you. then  guess what no car for that child or license either,   you see from where i  am,


i am responsible for my children untill they are eighteen.    that means i am responsible for all of there actions and to some degree there thoughts,  children learn what they live and i couldnt imagine the life that child has, if she thinks that weilding a two thousand pound potential death machine  is something of ease to the point of thinking that she could text and drive maybe she learned that from seeing her dad and mom do it who knows  i think if you have parents who instill the respect in you and maybe fear that is needed then you wont get a chance to kill someone,    its a sad day anytime this happens in america  or   any other place in the world.

[Brown Bomber]

     Here's a type of distracted driver that you don't see too often, while sitting in traffic one day last week, I was behind two guys in an old Toyota, and at least one of them was deaf. They where having a helluva conversation, arms and fingers flapping all over the place.
     Now I have a severe hearing loss myself, and have a great deal of empathy towards people who have to rely on sign language, but I witnessed a level of distraction that really had me shaking my head.
     Imagine the response you'd get from a public service bulletin warning people not to sign, and drive.

[ferroussphinx]

yea its true i have not witnessed the signing distraction    atleast the deaf have a reason to communicate that way    sometimes going down the road i to wanna know  BK or KFC so i ask and if you dont have that ability you sign  lol atleast they were not texting