Driver Of Tractor Trailer That Crashed Into a School Bus Near Ocala Florida was on Cell Phone
Yesterday, I referenced a serious accident that occurred near Ocala, Florida when a tractor trailer slammed into the back of a school bus killing one student and injuring several others. It was unclear then why a semi truck driver would not have been able to see and stop for a bright, yellow school bus in the daylight hours unless he was over-tired, under the influence of alcohol or drugs and/or otherwise distracted.
According to an article today at Firstcoastnews.com, the semi truck driver was on his cell phone when he crashed his tractor trailer into the school bus. This would indicate at least one reason for the apparently negligent, and perhaps reckless, conduct of the semi truck driver in causing this accident. It is not clear how the investigators found out that the semi truck driver was on his cell phone at the time of the accident, however if and when lawsuits are filed for the death and injuries caused in the crash, personal injury lawyers for the students and their families will certainly obtain the cell phone records of the semi truck driver to confirm when the semi truck driver was on his cell phone, how long and to whom he was talking.
I recently wrote two posts about the dangers of driving while distracted by a cell phone or other mobile communication device. One post discussed how one study showed that driving while using a text message device may be more dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The other post discussed how teenagers are involved in more deadly accidents than any other age group, partly because of their use of cell phones while driving.
