No matter how many times we as a culture are taught a lesson, there are some that I believe we should never stop advocating.
Lessons of the kind you are familiar with. I’m referring to issues such as the value of treating everyone fairly, the necessity of making sure our kids receive a quality education, and the dos and don’ts when using heavy equipment, like driving a car.
Even though we’ve all heard these lessons before, it never hurts to review them. Consider the last of those three topics, for instance.
Now, considering how many horror stories we hear about these days, I would think that all of our readers are aware of how dangerous it may be to operate a vehicle without exercising the utmost caution and attention.
However, even while you’ve undoubtedly heard a good number of stories about the tragedies that may occur when someone drives carelessly, it’s unlikely that you’ve ever heard a narrative quite like this one.
Although it happened in 2014, which is now ten years ago, we think the lesson it teaches is still crucial today.
It is about a woman who, shortly after updating her Facebook profile and posting selfies while driving, was killed in a head-on collision on a US highway.
The Independent reports that on Thursday, April 24, 2014, at 8:33 a.m., 32-year-old Courtney Sanford posted on Facebook, writing, “The happy song makes me so HAPPY.”
At 8:34 a.m., police were reportedly summoned in response to crash reports.
Courtney was driving alone when her car over the center reservation, according to the authorities, and it then collided with a recycling truck and caught fire.
While Lt Chris Weisner, a spokesman for the High Point Police Department, acknowledged that no evidence of alcohol, drugs, or speed played a role in the deadly crash, he said the incident was a warning, “showing what happens when you text and drive.”
“A life was taken in a matter of seconds, all so she could tell a few friends that she was okay.” Really, it’s not worth it, Weisner remarked.
“Even though it is depressing, it serves as a somber reminder for everyone—you just need to pay attention when driving.”
John Wallace Thompson, the 73-year-old driver of the recycling truck, escaped the crash unscathed.
Despite how tragic this incident is, it should serve as a timely warning that driving while preoccupied never ends well.