At 3:50pm on May 12th, a driver using his phone caused a head-on collision on Route AB near Wagner Drive in Franklin County, Missouri. As a 2011 Jeep Patriot was traveling southbound on AB, they were struck head-on by a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt, who was not paying attention to the road—the Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report cites that the driver was talking on the phone at the time of the collision. Both vehicles were totaled, and the drivers of both vehicles were taken to the hospital. The driver of the Cobalt sustained serious injuries in the collision and was transported via ambulance.
Driving while distracted is a blatantly selfish act that can cost or forever change lives. No phone call or text or worth a life, and we, and other drivers, have a responsibility to follow the laws to ensure all drivers make it to their destination safely. Luckily, when those responsibilities are not fulfilled by drivers, Missouri law enforcement uses their authority to suspend or revoke a driver’s license, impose fines, and send the criminals to jail. Causing a heinous crash like this deserves significant punishment.