When Robert Gillespie looked up from his text message, he saw a freight train. EOM. ("End of message," that is, for non-texters.) Eugene police say Gillespie's car crashed into the side of the Union Pacific freight train about 2 a.m. Tuesday.
When officers arrived, they found him alert and talking, but trapped in the car. They learned about the cell phone and text message as they worked to rescue him.
Gillespie, who had turned 38 the day before, was charged with drunken driving and careless driving, police spokeswoman Kerry Delf said. His injuries were described as not life threatening, and no members of the train crew were hurt.
Full story here.
Text messaging while driving may be hazardous to your health! At least this guy got out of this accident alive. He could very well have been killed by the train!
I don't know what it is with people and their addiction to text messaging. Isn't it a lot simpler to just dial the phone, hey you don't even need to dial anything anymore, just hit the speed dial and let the phone ring? I do not understand the need for text messaging unless of course it is cheaper to send text messages than call? I can understand the case if it involves long distance but to your buddies?
There have been so many cases lately of road accidents where the drivers were distracted because they were text messaging. I don't care if they get hurt in a self accident because they brought it upon themselves but if other innocent road users get hurt because of their distraction, now that is a different story. Isn't it illegal to be text messaging while driving in the first place?
This sort of scenario are common here in Malaysia.Very irresponsible.
ReplyDeletePeople do that here all the time. I secretly wished that they'd run into a train too (not cars, but a train).
ReplyDeleteYes I'm evil. The problem is the the general populace here are pretty much idiots because in order not to get caught talking on the phone while driving, they resort to text messaging. In fact, some (mostly the highest order of all idiots) even brag how good they are at doing so.
There's no way to ask them to do otherwise. So we go back to that old post of yours - any car is dangerous in Malaysia.
Seems like a problem every where, eh!
ReplyDeleteIt is dangerous and irresponsible, like Pat said.
Too bad, no trains in Miri, otherwise sure someone or more already killed by it while texting!