Posted on 08/17/2010 8:00:22 PM PDT by grundle
Dr. Frank Ryan, plastic surgeon to Heidi Montag and other celebrities, was sending a Twitter message about his border collie just before his fatal car accident, his ex-girlfriend tells PEOPLE.
"He lived up in Malibu on a tiny street and he was texting while driving and he accidentally went over the cliff," Charmaine Blake says.
Blake, a celebrity publicist, says Ryan's family was told by investigators that the Tweeting caused the wreck on Monday.
The dog, whose name is Jill – Blake's middle name – was in the car at the time of the crash and survived injuries to the head, eye and paw.
The California Highway Patrol confirms Ryan was texting before the crash, but investigators have not officially determined the cause of the accident.
"It is one of the elements that we are investigating," CHP Officer Steven Reid says.
Blake says she lived with Ryan from 2003 to 2006. After breaking up, they remained close and Ryan was also helping support her, says Blake.
"It was the only serious relationship I ever had and he was the love of my life," Blake, 29, says. "It was hard for us to stay away from each other."
She adds that she hopes other people learn from this tragedy that "people should not text and drive at all."
Well Doc I guess you were not as smart as you thought!
It wasn't the cliff that got him, it was that sudden stop at the end that did it. Just a guess.....
Duh.
I feel sorry for the dog, but not the dummy doc.
Thanks for that insight, Blake.
Shame. Texting and driving really is dangerous—even reading them.
It’s so tempting, too. I always think of how many accidents are caused where the driver “lost control” that was really a texting incident and the phone was never recovered or the battery came out and its activity was lost.
In other words, I think that the true numbers are under represented.
Not sure if legislation helps anything, but it’s a tough problem.
accidents rates have been compared before and after laws are passed with no change. I agree using the phone to talk, text or go online while driving is not safe, I hate the nanny state efforts to legislate, especially when the laws seem to have no impact. Much like anything else, it punishes those that can handle their responsibilities and only use these tools when it they are stopped or when necessary and safe while in motion.
Are they sure that Doc was driving?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU7B8xa1mtA
Think of it as evolution in action.
Would agree if the person texting or phoning were the only person that suffered form the results of such actions, however, seldom is the case.
It is bad enough that people talk on their cell phones while driving, but to TEXT! Texting takes so much concentration that it will always take away from your awareness while driving. What is so important that it can’t wait until you get to your destination?
well, I bet he won’t do that again.
They don’t have guard rails around curves and cliffs in CA?
“Are they sure that Doc was driving?”
Coulda been Toonces!
Oh, thank you, Clay. I needed to see Toonces before going to bed. :-)
Did they find cat turds at the crash site?
“Hi, my name’s Cliff. Why don’t you drop over some day?”
His last message to Heidi Montag:
“That’s 35 PSI in the right and 38 PSI in the left!”
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