Texting - Cause Of A Recent PA Hit & Run Pedestrian Accident

by Daniel J. O'Brien [email protected]

On September 6, 2015, a 45 year old woman who was a mother of three kids was hit by a car while walking on the road around 10:40 pm in Indiana County, PA.  The car then left the scene of the accident.  The woman was walking home with her older daughter at the time of the accident. Tragically, the woman died in a hospital two days later.  Since the accident, the police had been searching for the red Ford pickup truck that hit her.  Five days after the accident, the driver of the pickup truck went to the police with his lawyer and consented to an interview.

According to the authorities, the 19 year old driver thought he hit a deer and had the truck repaired.  However, a few days later, the truck accidentally caught fire.  Investigators are still waiting for test results to rule out arson as the cause to help determine whether the driver tried to cover up evidence of the hit and run accident.

In addition, police obtained a search warrant for the driver’s cell phone records, which showed that two text messages were sent to his mother “in close proximity to the time of the crash.”

The driver now faces felony charges involving death or personal injury, summary counts of texting while driving in PA, failing to render aid and immediately notifying police of the accident.

Texting While Driving In Pennsylvania

This recent texting while driving accident is another example that Pennsylvania drivers need to put their phones down when driving.  In a matter of seconds, lives are turned upside down.  In this recent accident, three kids no longer have their mother, and the driver is facing some serious criminal charges.  In addition, the driver will likely be sued by the deceased mother’s family in a PA wrongful death lawsuit.

It is illegal to text and drive in Pennsylvania, yet, drivers continue to do so.  How many more lives have to be lost to distracted driving accidents in Pennsylvania? The next time you are behind a wheel, put the phone in the glove compartment.

Related: Stop PA Drivers From Texting While Driving

About Daniel J. O’Brien, Esq.

Mr. O’Brien has been a lawyer for 30 years and is licensed in PA and NJ.  He has helped many PA car accident victims injured in hit and run accidents, drunk driving accidents and distracted driving accidents.  Mr. O’Brien always offers a FREE consultation.  877.944.8396

Source: www.pennlive.com (Texting driver, 19, charged in fatal Pa. hit-and-run)

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