Amish Man's Death Attributed to Texting While Driving
In January, an Amish man from Madison, Missouri was killed when his horse-drawn buggy was hit by a vehicle on U.S. 63 near Moberly, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The vehicle was driven by a 34 year old man from Illinois. He has been charged with second-degree voluntary manslaughter and a hearing for the man is scheduled on August 30.
Cellular telephone records show that the man who struck the buggy sent a text message to his wife only two minutes before the crash was reported. The man told investigators he was not texting at the time of the accident.
Texting while driving is dangerous. Drivers that use cell phones are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In addition, distracted driving is a factor in one-quarter of crashes reported to police.
Using a cell phone while driving also has a major impact on your brain activity. According to Carnegie Mellon, driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent. In addition, distraction from cell phone use results in a driver having the reaction time of someone with a blood alcohol concentration of .08, which is the level of intoxication in most states.
Have you been injured in an accident by a distracted driver? If so, contact an experienced Missouri automobile accident attorney today. You could be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, damage to your automobile, and more. Contact Page Law today at 314-322-8515 for a free consultation.
