There are some lessons that I don’t think we, as a society, should ever stop championing, irrespective of how many times they’ve been taught.
You know the sort of lessons I mean. I’m talking about things like the importance of treating all people equally, or how crucial it is that we ensure our children receive a proper education, or the dos and don’ts when operating heavy machinery, like say, driving a car.
These are all things we’ve been taught time and again, but it never hurts to refresh ourselves. Take, for example, the latter of those three subjects.
Now, I’d hope that all of our readers know how dangerous it can be to drive a car without one hundred percent due care and attention, especially given how many horror stories we hear about nowadays.
And yet while you’ve inevitably heard your fair share of tales relating to the catastrophes that can unfold when an individual does something irresponsible while behind the wheel of a vehicle, you’ve likely never heard a story quite like this one.
It played out ten years ago now, back in 2014, but we here at Newsner believe that the message it conveys is absolutely just as important today.
It concerns a woman who was killed in a head-on collision on a US highway moments after she had posted selfies and updated her Facebook page while driving her car.
As per The Independent, 32-year-old Courtney Sanford wrote a Facebook status at 8:33am on Thursday, April 24, 2014 that read: “The happy song makes me so HAPPY.”
Reportedly, police were then called to reports of a crash at 8:34am.
Authorities detailed how Courtney was alone in her car when it crossed the central reservation before crashing into a recycling truck and bursting into flames.
Police confirmed that they had found no evidence that drink, drugs or speed were factors in the fatal collision, but High Point Police Department spokesperson Lt Chris Weisner said the incident was a warning for “showing what happens when you text and drive”.
“In a matter of seconds, a life was over just so she could notify some friends that she was happy. It’s really not worth it,” Weisner said.
“As sad as it is, it is also a grim reminder for everyone… you just have to pay attention while you are in the car.”
The driver of the recycling truck, 73-year-old John Wallace Thompson, walked away from the collision unharmed.
Heartbreaking as this story is, it should serve as a timely reminder that nothing good can come of driving while distracted.
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