Let It Be a Lesson

Yesterday my sister told me a sad story about a young woman who was killed in a car accident last Thursday morning. 32-year-old Courtney Sanford was taking selfies and posting a status update to Facebook when her car crossed the center median, slammed into a recycling truck and caught fire. Courtney was killed instantly. (Fortunately the 73-year-old driver of the recycling truck was uninjured.)

After investigators examined Courtney's cell phone, police determined that she made a Facebook status from her phone at 8:33 AM that said, "The happy song makes me  HAPPY!" At 8:34 AM police got the call about the accident. Lieutenant Chris Weisner of  the High Point Police department in North Carolina told a news station, "In a matter of seconds, a life was over just so she could notify some friends that she was happy." The fact that Courtney was using her phone for something so unnecessary is what makes her death so tragic. Any accident resulting in a death/disability is sad, but especially one like this that was 100% preventable. I really feel for Courtney's family and friends because it would be really hard to deal with losing a loved one, especially when they were being reckless. Sometimes people just don't stop to think about the consequences of their actions.

I hope Courtney's tragic death strikes a chord with other drivers and reminds them of the dangerous consequences of using your phone at the wheel. Distracted driving is SO hazardous and leaves you just as impaired as driving under the influence of alcohol or driving sleep deprived. Sending that text, snapping that selfie, answering that call or updating that status just isn't worth the risk! Let this be a reminder of what NOT to do.