The California Highway Patrol is investigating a deadly auto accident that occurred in Fountain Valley, Orange County on Sunday. According to police, the car crash was triggered by a dropped cell phone and occurred on the 405 freeway.
Gladis A. Andrade-Zepeda was reportedly driving her Chevrolet Impala at around 4:30am when she dropped her cellular phone. As she tried to find it, she swerved her vehicle and it struck the center divide.
Andrade-Zepeda, 33, and a female passenger reportedly got out of the vehicle and attempted to help the man riding in the back seat to exit the car also. Because her Impala's headlights were broken, the freeway was completely dark.
A Chevy Malibu carrying two men came up the carpool lane and struck the Impala. Andrade-Zepeda, who police say may have gotten trapped between the two vehicles, was pronounced dead at the crash scene. The male passenger riding in her car was transported to Long Beach Memorial Hospital while the two men who were in the Malibu were transported to UCI Medical Center in the city of Orange. The woman who was with Andrade-Zepeda was not injured in the California motor vehicle accident.
Distracted Driving
Drivers are supposed to pay attention to the road when operating a vehicle. Unfortunately, one of the leading causes of motor vehicle accidents is distracted driving.
Examples of activities that can be lead to driver inattention include:
- Text messaging
- Talking on cellular phone
- Applying makeup
- Reading a book or newspaper
- Reaching for a moving object
- Drowsiness
- Falling asleep while at the wheel
In 2006, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute said that almost 80% of all motor vehicle collisions and 65% of near auto accidents happen because of driver inattention.
Cell phone use while driving, whether talking on the phone or text messaging, is considered a leading form of distracted driving. In California, use of a handheld cell phone while operating an auto is no longer allowed and there is also a ban on text messaging while driving.
Distracted driving can lead to serious injuries and deaths on the road and can be grounds for a California personal injury case or a wrongful death lawsuit.
Dropped cell phone leads to fatal crash on freeway, Orange County Register, February 15, 2009
Breakthrough Research on Real-World Driver Behavior Release, NHTSA
Related Web Resources:
Cell Phone Driving Laws, Governors Highway Safety Association
Distracted Driving, National Safety Council
