Distracted Driver Creates Overturned Vehicle Wreck

It only takes a few seconds of inattention to cause a life altering car accident.  This morning a distracted driver was traveling westbound on Holland Road in Suffolk, Virginia (VA) when she became distracted by the radio and ran off the road to the left.  She overcorrected and struck the ditch and median. The vehicle rolled twice before coming to rest on its roof. It sustained approximately $10,000 in damage, reports The Virginian Pilot.

Most people wouldn't consider the radio a distraction, but it can be, just like a cell phone, or a rowdy passenger.  The worst thing is that this accident was preventable.  The car was so damaged that it required the time and support from Suffolk fire and rescue emergency crews. 

The driver was charged with one count of reckless driving in the single-vehicle accident.  So now in the time that it took to change a radio station, the driver has destroyed her vehicle, injured herself and a passenger, tied up rescue crews, and caused a huge traffic back up.  Then to top it all off the driver was transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital by Nightingale, then treated and released. Her passenger was transported by ambulance to Sentara Obici Hospital. His condition was unavailable.

Driver distraction plays a role in 8 out of every 10 car accidents in North America, according to the IBC. That equates to four million accidents. This latest accident is proof to these statistics.  Even worse, new studies indicate texting while driving is as dangerous as drunk driving.  Let this accident be a reminder to always concentrate on driving.  Driving is the only thing you should be doing when you are behind the wheel.  This is not a time to multi-task.

 CA.