Teen Reached For Her Phone And Crashed Car - Mom Puts Totaled Car On Display As An Example For Others

Sep 10, 2018 by apost team

The number of traffic accidents that occur in the United States that involve cell phones amount to 64 percent of the 2.5 million accidents that happen each year. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of individuals who lost their lives as a result to being distracted while driving totaled to be 3,179 people in 2014. Matt Reeves is a 17-year-old who is lucky to be alive today.

The accident happened on September 2, 2016. While driving in his mother’s car, Reeves had placed his cell phone on the center console. As the car was in motion the cell phone slid off the console and ended up under the brake and gas pedals. Though pulling the car over to the side would have been the better option, Reeves decided to slow the car down and take his foot off the gas while attempting to grab the cell phone. He told reporters that he did not believe it would take him long to grab the phone.

Unfortunately, the amount of time it took for him to grab the phone was the perfect amount needed to ensure an accident.

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An SUV was in front of Reeves waiting to make a turn. When he finally grabbed the phone, it was too late. Reeves crashed into the back of the car that was in front of him. Amazingly enough, the driver of the SUV was a certified nurse. She immediately came to his aid and successfully managed his stability until further emergency authorities arrived on the scene.

As a result of the accident, Reeves acquired some terrible injuries. His jaw, nose, skull and eye socket were all fractured. He received and injured shoulder, a concussion to the head which resulted in a deep gash present on his forehead as a reminder of the accident.

Though these injuries were terrible, Reeves remarked that the whole scenario could have been ten times worse. He was happy that no one else was injured or lost their life as a result of him taking his eyes off the road.

This accident provoked his mother to share the story on Facebook. His mother’s name is Linda and her goal was to help prevent future accidents of this nature from taking place. Matt’s full recovery reached its completion after the span of two months. Now he and his family speak out about the dangers that arise when drivers are distracted by their phones. 

Do you have any thoughts about the dangers of being distracted while driving? How can we prevent future drivers from being distracted while driving? Let us know!