CNN has reported that an 18 year-old teen will spend a year behind jail as he was found guilty of vehicular homicide, texting while driving and negligent operation of a motor vehicle in a landmark case in Massachusetts.
The teen, A.D., killed D.B. and severely injured D.B.'s girlfriend in a car crash on February 20, 2011.
The case was heard in district court in Haverhill, Massachusetts by Judge Stephan Abany.
A.D.'s mother told the court that her son would never intentionally hurt someone. A.D. also told the court, "I made a mistake. If I could take it back, I would take it back."
Judge Abany sentenced A.D. to two and a half years for vehicular homicide and two years for texting causing bodily injury. A.D. was ordered to serve one year concurrently on both charges – and the balance of time will be suspended for five years.
A.D. has also lost his driving privileges for 15 years, as ordered by the judge.
The Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said, "There are no winners today. A beloved grandfather is dead. A once active woman can no longer work and is still racked with pain from her injuries and a young man is going to jail. When we get behind the wheel of a car, we are obligated to drive with care. ... As we saw in this case, in a split second, many lives are forever changed."
Prosecutors said that the accident occurred when A.D.'s vehicle crossed over the center line and into the car D.B. was driving on a street in Haverhill.
The detective on scene, Thomas Howell, described that the two victims were "almost folded into the floorboards" due to the impact of the crash.
On March 10, 2011, D.B. was taken off of life support and succumbed to his injuries. D.B.'s sister told the court, "My brother received such head trauma that ... there was no hope for him."
L.R., D.B.'s girlfriend that survived the crash, sustained serious injuries. L.R. told the judge that she has suffered with "loss of sleeping, loss of my boyfriend. So many losses, I can't tell you how many."
Prosecutors alleged that A.D. may have erased some of his text messages, after the accident, and may have even lied to police about the timeline of his texting.
A police recorded interview of A.D. following the crash was heard in court. In the record A.D said, "I was tired. I was distracted. When I looked away for one quick second, I came too close to her and I was trying to hit my brakes."
A.D.'s attorney argued that there wasn't a clear connection between his client's alleged texting and the car crash.
According to the Governor's Highway Safety Association 38 states ban texting while driving and 31 ban it for "novice drivers."
Texting, distractions, intent or vehicle faultiness can all be circumstances that contribute to a car accident. If you are facing criminal charges due to something you feel was not your fault contact a criminal defense attorney to best represent you.
