Texting Lilburn Teen Injured While Driving
The dangers of texting while driving cannot be overstated; I have written in this blog numerous times about the inherit danger of texting behind the wheel, and the accidents that such behavior can cause.
Adding to that number of people injured or killed because of texting while driving – against the advice of law enforcement officials, cellular providers and good sense – is a nineteen year old from Lilburn who was seriously hurt when he ran his Acura into a telephone poll while sending a text message to a friend. The young man, Soheb Roy, in the single car crash which took place last week on Arcado Road and Wayside Court in Lilburn. Afterward, he was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center where his condition was deemed serious, but stable by medical professionals, according to Bruce Hedley, the Lilburn police spokesman.
The collision between Soheb’s Acura and the telephone pole was strong enough to snap the pole in two, and block the road for much of the day. The car itself was totaled. Despite the sound of it, neither alcohol nor drug use has been indicated in this crash. The only factor to contribute to Soheb leaving the road and hitting the telephone pole was his use of a cell phone to text while driving.
Soheb is being charged with improper use of a cell phone while driving and failure to maintain his lane.
Texting while driving has been causing quite an uproar lately just for this reason. A sober person might be distracted by the act of texting and receiving texts, and create a risk as great or even greater than a person who is legally intoxicated. Numerous studies have shown both the incredible dangers of texting while driving, and the alarming rates at which teens in particular engage in this risky behavior. Some studies have estimated that as many as one quarter of teens have texted while driving, and as many as half of teens have witnessed someone texting while driving while they themselves were riding as passengers.
In Soheb’s case, there was luckily only one person involved. While that in no way excuses his behavior or makes what he did less dangerous, the only person who was hurt by his choice was himself; but by texting while driving, he and other teens put their passengers – often friends and family members – and everyone who they share the road with at risk.
More and more states are taking action to ban the use of cell phones while driving, both speaking on them and sending text messages, but the responsibility remains on drivers to understand the dangers and respect those state sanctions.
If you or someone who you know has been injured by a distracted or texting driver, then it is important to protect your rights by contacting an experienced Georgia auto wreck attorney. You may be entitled to compensation. Call MLN Law at 404-531-9700 for a free consultation.