Posted on 04/06/2009 5:19:11 AM PDT by Wolfie
Woman who crashed into line of cars while texting gets 6 years in prison
REDDING, Calif. -- A woman who crashed into a line of stopped vehicles while text-messaging on her cell phone has been sentenced to six years in a California prison for killing a woman in one of the vehicles.
Deborah Matis-Engle was sentenced Friday by a judge in Redding, Calif.
Investigators said Deborah Matis-Engle was speeding and text messaging when she slammed into the vehicles stopped at a construction zone in August 2007.
Shasta County prosecutor Stephanie Bridgett said the 49-year-old woman had paid several bills by cell phone in the moments before the crash.
She was in the middle of one of those transactions when she struck a vehicle that burst into flames, killing 46-year-old Petra Winn.
Defense attorney Jeffrey Stotter said he will appeal.
Six years isn’t enough for killing someone in a horrible way like that.
Can someone enlighten me as to the voracious desire for texting. It’s a cell phone for crying out loud. Talk!
“It’s a cell phone for crying out loud. Talk!”
There have been ENOUGH accidents caused by people who do use cell phones to talk. They are almost as distracted as are the texters.
What about: ‘It’s a CAR for crying out loud. Drive!”
There are so many of her on the roads today; not caring one wit about the safety of others or themselves. I was behind one on her cell phone the other day. She was going about 10 miles an hour enjoying the heck out of everyone else in traffic being inconveninced. That would be one law I would vote for. Outlaw cell phones and texting while driving.
I think I will make a big sign that I can show people who are doing this. “A woman just got 6 years in prison for doing what you are doing.”
Texting while driving is going to be dealt with like a DUI and rightfully so. “TWD” (texting while driving) is no different than watching a movie or even sleeping while driving. Most states will take advantage of this precedent and rack up millions in fines.
I see people TWD all the time. Most set the cell phone on top of the steering wheel and look up occasionally. Scary stuff on country roads.
I agree. Most of the texters are robotic teenagers who seemingly have no existence apart from their cell phones. I think that their use is an affirmation that they are actually sentient human beings. But, I don’t think that. I remember dining at a local cafeteria one day. There were four people at a table next to me. Three of the four were talking on cell phones. I almost pulled up a chair to provide company for the non-talker. I don’t think they had any idea how rude they were. Ostensibly they were dining together to enjoy each other’s company. I just don’t understand it. Seems most of these people simply glut their lives with an admixture of stimuli, most of it bad and a thorough waste of time.
“Can someone enlighten me as to the voracious desire for texting”.
...texting has become a HUGE business with kids. It’s just one more step towards eliminating the art of conversation. It’s difficult to carry on a converstaion with most 25’s and less because of video games, e-mail, TV, i-pods and now texting.
Answer to your question...texting is a way to carry on a conversation since most are unable verbally.
Personal responsibility is what this sentence is about. However, had she been 20 and cute, they would probably have given her a suspended sentence.
“...texting is a way to carry on a conversation since most are unable verbally.”
I might prefer this for young people. I was recently subjected to a conversation between 20ish guys. Every other word was ‘yo’ and ‘f###’. Wished they were texting.
Was she driving a car or just crashed her fat a$$ into cars while walking?
Funny. But I don’t believe that.
Can someone enlighten me as to the need for cellphones at all? Just another piece of toot to lose. No thank you. I prefer life untriangulated, anyway.
She looks like the type who will have a ball in women’s prison
Passed a guy doing 10-15mph slower than everyone else on the freeway the other day. He had a hamburger in one hand and a cell phone in the other. If I could’ve just reached out and got him by the neck....
It is a work necessity for millions of people...who would like nothing better than to stomp theirs to pieces
Then you have the airheads and chatterboxes mostly female
A friend who goes to Asia says everyone in the street (male and female) is chattering way aimlessly on cell phones or texting
Uh, GUILTY.
Somebody needed to say it.
Are you in the buggy whip business, or do you sell acetylene street lamps?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.