Posted on 06/26/2009 6:39:42 PM PDT by Chet 99
Last update Jun 26, 2009 @ 05:45 PM
EUREKA —
The Eureka teenager who was killed in a single-vehicle crash Thursday afternoon had been sending and receiving text messages when the accident occurred, according to a statement from the Woodford County Coroner’s Office.
Alyssa G. Burns, 17, was pronounced dead about 1 p.m. Thursday after losing control of the SUV she was driving at County Road 800N about a quarter-mile west of 1900 East.
Coroner Tim Ruestman said Burns was eastbound on County Road 800 N, but had traveled into the oncoming lane of traffic as the SUV headed up a hill. At the hill’s crest, Burns turned sharply to avoid striking a westbound vehicle. The SUV went into the south ditch, where it overturned several times, ejecting Burns.
Information recovered from Burn’s cell phone revealed she was texting when the crash occurred. The emergency 911 call — dialed by the driver in the car Burns narrowly missed hitting — and the last text message she received were within seconds of each other, the coroner said.
"The lady she about hit called 911," Ruestman said. "She looked back in her rearview mirror and saw the SUV roll."
Alyssa Burns is the daughter of the Rev. Joseph and Terri Burns. He is the minister of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Eureka. She would have been a senior at Eureka High School this fall.
The accident remains under investigation by the Coroner’s Office and Sheriff’s Department.
I did say MOSTLY women and girls. Idiots come in all types, but texting while driving is still MOSTLY chic thing.
Yep, Ill has a law on texting and talking on phones in the car, It is especially harsh to teenagers. No one ever gets caught though. I live in Woodford County and i can’t believe it...that could have been one of my friends.
Alright.....
More laws are no help...
Be they guns or phones...
Sorry I missed that. Agreed though
Like every state, Illinois has a law against distracted driving. You simply have to define texting as an intrinsic distraction.
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