NC - Woman Dies In Head-On Crash Moments After Facebook Post While Driving

[noZme]

North Carolina
A 32 year-old was driving, posting selfies & texting.

At 8:33 am, Courtney Sanford shared her last words with her friends and family via Facebook - "The happy song makes me HAPPY." Seconds after posting this message to Facebook, her car hit a recycling truck head on after crossing the center median of the road. The first call to 911 was logged at 8:34.
Pull over & park!

http://sftimes.co/?id=581&src=share_fb_new_581

 

[MamaJoJo]

AT&T has a new program, #ItCanWait, and the other day I was at a fair where they had a texting and driving simulator. It was astonishing how distracted you become by just quickly looking at an incoming text or trying to use the mic to type a reply for you (just looking at your phone to press three buttons). I ultimately clipped an SUV and crashed into some cars. Thank goodness it was all fake! The app (which disables all but emergency communications wile driving) is only for Androids on the AT&T network but they expect to launch in on iPhones soon.

When I drive, I swear, 90% of people I see driving are either talking on their phone, reading something on their phone, or texting. It's an epidemic. I'm guilty of doing it, too. Sure, I try to justify my actions by just doing it at a traffic stop but that's cheating. If the car is on, the phone should be inaccessible, IMO. I made a pledge to never do it again.

I can't imagine how distracted this girl was during her drive. She could have easily killed others or have simply run off the road and lived to text and drive again. This poor girl and her poor family. It's just awful.

ETA: The PSA video at the end of the article should be shown constantly on TV, IMO.

 

[Frigga]

This makes me so concerned for my children, once they are able to drive (its a ways off, BTW).

I think my husband and I will have a strict rule that if we ever discover they have been calling or texting while driving- their phone AND the car will be taken away- indefinitely.

This is terrible and so tragic but completely avoidable. Sigh.

 

[TroyinTX]

It is indeed an epidemic. I constantly see other drivers with the cell phones glued to the hand or ear while the should be focusing on the road. It's ridiculous. Sorry, but you are not THAT important.

 

[SugarQueen]

I can honestly say I don't text/ talk and drive. Never have. I've had people get annoyed with me because I didn't answer their call but too bad. My reply is always the same... What do you think we did before cell phones? Nothing is that important!

 

[Frigga]

I had a boyfriend (well before cell phone era) who said he would never be a slave to his phone. This was in the day of land lines. He said just because someone can 'reach in to your home, at any given moment, by phone doesn't mean you have to answer it'! I always remembered that, and liked it. He would never answer the phone during dinner or while we were having an important conversation and I always appreciated it. I say the same thing now, about my cell phone. I have had people get mad too- too bad. I am so grateful to have the ability to recieve an important phone call, at a moments notice, about my children or from their schools etc., by having a cell phone, or for an emergency- other then that- it doesn't mean that much. It can wait. MOO!

 

[Simply Caustic]

My car has Bluetooth for voice calls, all voice activated..and for texts, it reads them aloud to me.
And I drive a Honda. We're not talking a Bugatti here.
I'm fancy like that. Lol it came standard with the 2014.
But seriously I think that's the future...Bluetooth everything. JMO.
Ps my heart breaks for her family but at least no innocent bystanders were harmed.

Via Kindle, like a true Amazon junkie

 

[al66pine]

Snipped for focus:

... a texting and driving simulator. It was astonishing how distracted you become by just quickly looking at an incoming text or trying to use the mic to type a reply for you (just looking at your phone to press three buttons). I ultimately clipped an SUV and crashed into some cars. Thank goodness it was all fake!

ETA: The PSA video at the end of the article should be shown constantly on TV, IMO.

The PSA vid is good.

I wish every person taking the driver's license test would be put on a simulator like MamaJoJo describes, so they could see for themselves how dangerous texting while driving and cell phone use while driving is.
No matter how careful ppl think they are, it simply is not safe. Period.

(Ditto DWI.)

JM2 cts.

 

[Boodles]

So tragic. Law enforcement needs to enforce the no texting laws very strictly, and harsh punishment is needed to set examples.

In Ireland and the UK, people do not drink and drive (as a general rule). Why? Because if caught, you lose your license, period. People pay attention. LE does not play around. No second chances.

Here? There's too much DUI and epidemic texting and talking. (And shootings! But that's another topic for another day!)

 

[QueenD]

I don't text nor read while driving. I have answered the phone. I don't talk when I'm in major traffic though like in the morning or evening rush. I need to concentrate and watch out for all the drivers texting and driving crazy. It just amazes me at people when you pass them and look over and they have no clue what's going on cause they are either texting or reading something on their phone.

You can pretty much get behind a car and see how it's weaving or going over then line and know when you get up there next them you'll see them texting. I usually shake my head or finger like
no-no at them.

 

[WideOpen]

This phenomena is not limited to young people.

When my father recently passed away my brother immediately got my mother a cell phone.
They had always been a couple who chose not to use modern tech gadgets. They only had an old landline with no answering machine and proclaimed to not want modern inconveniences.
My mother is mid 70s and constantly text and drives. I holler at her and scold her constantly for this and tell her how dangerous it is. This is a reminder and wake up call for me to get serious with her on this and the facts involved.

jmo

 

[LadyL]

I've come to the conclusion that cell phones are an ego trip and society is addicted to the delusion that constant texting and posting makes them V.I.P.'s.

 

[MamaJoJo]

I've come to the conclusion that cell phones are an ego trip and society is addicted to the delusion that constant texting and posting makes them V.I.P.'s.

Oh, it's true! I took my daughter and a few of her friends, 12-13 year olds, to the mall a few months ago. One of the girls took at least 300 selfies during the 30 minute ride. No joke. The phone was constantly in her face and she was making various faces at it. She wouldn't even let the girls flanking her to get in the pictures. She was her own paparazzi. Awful!

 

[HMSHood]

Don't text and drive.

 

[legalmania]

I don't understand this is basic driving 101. I was taught that you keep your eyes on the road, left, right, rear view mirrors both hands on the steering wheel and that's it. I saw a 7 year old take the family car and he could barely see over the steering wheel, he had an officer following him sirens blaring , the kid was hitting speeds up to almost 100mph and he made it to his house without an accident. Now if a seven year old can drive so can an adult that's been taught to drive. I was also taught if it's something that is going to distract me from the road to pull over and handle whatever it is. It just baffles me that people think they can drive and not see what is going on in front, back and on the sides when your driving. I really think they need to bring back drivers ed class, and they can't graduate until they pass the class. We definitely need to do something about this driving and playing with your phone. I don't know what that will be because you can't even stop people from drinking and driving. People are dying and this is serious, I know I don't want to get killed because someone missed a call.

 

[bwt42]

I know this post may sound cruel but. When a reckless & irresponsible person dies because or their own actions, my attitude is " at least they didn't hurt anyone & exited before they did".

 

[kaki]

Would be nice if there was some technology built in (and required by law) To disable the phone except for emergency calls while in a moving vehicle. Lots of people would hate it but it would save lives.

 

[FigTree]

What a senseless waste of a life.
I think it would help if you see a person you know on your social media and they are texting and taking selfies and you see that they are in their car - stop responding immediately - don't reply to them.
Its my/your text or message they'll be distracted by.
I would hate the thought of my text or comment to be the last one they saw before they died in a road accident - especially if there were other innocent people involved in another car/s.


I wont pick up my phone every time because its ringing - I will when I have finished what Im doing if it has involved me interacting with a real person.
I had a text from a family member last week who basically gave me an ultimatum about texting back and answering their calls - that if I did not respond immediately that they would have to 'seriously consider our friendship'. WTF!! .. so I didnt reply until the next day. pphhtt!

.

 

[keeponsearching]

I make it a huge point in front of my kids to not text and drive and we talk about it. I will answer the phone but put it on speak, or blue tooth which I have yet to set my new cell up with. I never get calls anyways.. Who calls nowadays.
I know someone who drives super fast, and she text.. It is really ridiculous.. I have precious cargo in my vehicle and I include me in that, because I wouldn't want my kids to live a life without me over something that can be prevented.

I have a huge fear of turning, I will look into my review mirror to make sure the person is paying attention.

How do you guys use your gps?

 

[nightwatch]

Unfortunately this is not the first nor will be the last time. Here are two stories of teens that died the same way.

Very scary, we have a neighbor who ran into the back of a parked rv one of those big bus type vehicles. Claimed reaching for her purse, but report showed she was texting. By the way the parked vehicle which the owners were loading for a trip was three houses down from her's was not usually parked there. We were all scratching our head, how could she not see that big a motorhome. Jmo

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...3V0KmVFwTwX5tfcBJwcjbjw&bvm=bv.65636070,d.aWw


http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...b2aJcAdbZ_0pSDCz-g-FrrQ&bvm=bv.65636070,d.aWw
ciao