Florida Man Survives Dramatic Auto Accident Caught on Tape
A video that went viral shows the erratic driving of a texting motorist. A Fort Myers, Florida police officer who happened to be following behind the texting driver caught the whole thing on his dash-cam. The driver was travelling down a suburban mixed residential/ commercial street during the early morning hours of January 4 of this year when the officer began to follow him. The driver is so engrossed in his text, he doesn’t even notice that the patrol car directly behind him. To an outside observer, the driver appears to be drunk. He exhibits many of the same driving behaviors typical of a drunk driver.
First, the driver swerves back and forth, crossing the center line and almost driving onto the sidewalk several times. He taps the brakes for no reason as he approaches a green traffic light some distance ahead. By the time he reaches the intersection, the light has turned red. He comes to a complete stop with his blinker indicating a right turn, but then begins to pull out and slams on his brakes as a car rolls past. He hesitantly makes the right turn straight into the far lane. Suddenly his car cuts sharply across the center lane and beelines toward a cement pole. The vehicle jumps the curb, hits a sign and a tree, flips over and slams into a utility pole. All of this occurs within seconds of making the turn.
Shockingly, the driver walks away from the accident without sustaining serious injuries or hurting anybody else. 23-year-old Michael Woody admitted to sending a text message in the moments before the dramatic crash. Police charged Mr. Woody with careless driving and texting while driving.
Somehow Texas Has No Statewide Ban on Texting While Driving
Florida laws make texting while driving a secondary offense,
which means an officer can only issue a citation for texting while
driving upon pulling a driver over for another traffic violation.
Unfortunately, Texas currently has no statewide statutory ban on
electronic device use while driving, but some towns have passed local ordinances
forbidding use of cell phones by drivers. I support legislation that
imposes a statewide ban. A bill has been introduced in the Texas
legislature once again. I hope that our lawmakers will recognize the
urgency of passing this crucial texting ban law.
What Do You Look Like When You Text and Drive?
Next time you decide to pull out your phone while driving, think
about this video. You may feel like you are in total control of your
vehicle, but you aren’t. Even to send a “quick” message forces you to
take your eyes off the road, your hands off the steering wheel and your
mind off of your driving. Wait until you get where you are going or pull over to text safely.
Recover from the Texting Driver Who Caused Your Dallas-Fort Worth Accident
Berenson Law Firm has helped Dallas-Fort Worth clients recover compensation in auto accident
cases for the past 34 years. We are here to help you if you were injured by a texting driver. Call us to schedule your free consultation at
817-885-8000 or toll-free at 1-888-801-8585.