A 25-year-old woman has been sentenced to six years in prison for striking and killing two teenage girls with her car. There was no malicious intent behind this tragic auto accident. Natasha Boggs was simply texting – while she was driving. Distracted driving is an epidemic in this country, and two young women have lost their lives because one person was unable to put her phone down while she was behind the wheel.
Distracted Driving Kills Teen Pedestrians
This horrific accident occurred last spring in Ohio. Natasha Boggs drifted off the road while texting and hit two teenage girls, ending their lives. Boggs pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter and one count each of vehicular assault and attempted tampering with evidence. That’s right – evidence tampering. Boggs deleted texts from her phone immediately after the fatal accident, trying to hide that she had indeed been paying more attention to her phone than the road.
Taylor Galloway and Amber Thoma, both 14 years old, were walking alongside a road with no sidewalks in Coventry Township in Summit County when they were struck and killed. A 15-year-old young man was seriously injured.
Boggs has already spent 11 months in prison, which means the rest of her sentence will last just over five years. She asked for forgiveness before being sentenced, saying she is truly sorry and cannot forgive herself, but this apology was not enough for Galloway’s mother: “Natasha robbed my daughter of the life she should have had. I will never see Taylor grow up. No prom or graduation, falling in love for the first time or a family of her own. Those tears are not for Taylor. They are tears for Natasha and loss of freedom. We are facing life alone and she gets maybe nine years. Where’s the justice in that? I don’t think nine years is too much to ask for the lives of two beautiful girls.”
The Aftermath of Deadly Distracted Driving
Boggs was not drunk, speeding, or impaired in any way at the time of the auto accident, her attorney said, but far too many people don’t see texting as an impairment while driving when it absolutely is. Boggs’ ability to pay attention to the task at hand – operating her vehicle – was weakened and impaired by her choice to text while driving.
The statistics from the National Safety Council are terrifying:
- Cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes every year.
- One of every four car accidents in the U.S. is caused by texting while driving.
- Someone who is texting while driving is six times more likely to cause an accident that someone who is driving while drunk.
- There is a 400 percent increase in time spent with eyes off the road when someone texts while driving.
If you or someone you love has been hurt in an auto accident caused by someone who was texting and driving, contact Thurswell Law for a free consultation with one of our experienced, knowledgeable, and successful attorneys. We do not charge any fees unless you collect. Call (248) 354-2222 today.
