Distractions prove deadly for motorists
Alethea Gomez had just turned 17. A straight-A student, and an active member in clubs and her community; she was well known for her ambition and diligence. But on June 19, 2004, the normally astute young woman let her guard down.
“The last thing I remember before the collision was looking at my sister. The phone had started ringing, and I tried to find it,” said Gomez.
Only a mile from her San Diego home, Gomez was on a road she took every day.
As Gomez swerved to avoid one car, she over-corrected and veered into oncoming traffic.
In the other car was Ryan Dunn, 75, along with his wife Eunice, 78, and their daughter. Ryan suffered severe neck and chest trauma, and Eunice was pronounced dead at the hospital.“I couldn’t believe what had just happened. It seemed like a dream. I couldn’t even walk. All I really remember was looking up, seeing the other car, and hearing the police ask me questions. I couldn’t even answer them.”
While Gomez wasn’t on a cell phone at the time of the accident, the police made note of its presence within the vehicle, and later stated it to be a contributing factor.
“It kept ringing, and I only glanced down to see where it was.”
While it may have only been a short glance to Gomez, Officer Joel Tranter considers it divided attention.
“Driving takes multi-tasking. It’s mental and physical. If you take one ounce of concentration away from the mental or the physical, you’re putting yourself at risk,” said the 21-year veteran of the Phoenix Police Department.
That August, Gomez returned to her high school, not with pictures from summer vacation, but instead with an involuntary manslaughter case pending.
“It felt really weird how life just kind of went on. My sister and I were able to walk away without any real trauma. But other lives had been torn to pieces.”
The following May, the week after her high school graduation, Gomez made her first appearance in court.
“When I walked into the courtroom, I felt so out of place. There were real criminals there, and people were trying to make me out to be like them.”
Gomez was sentenced to six months of probation, as well as 800 hours of community service to be completed within those six months. Four hundred of those hours were designated to be spent working in facilities which treated the victims of car accidents, while the other 400 were to be spent talking to her peers about the dangers of driving.
“I ultimately became thankful for the punishment given to me,” said Gomez.
Gomez put off college for a year in order to devote her time to complete the requirements set forth by the court.
While spending 52 hours a week in the hospital, Gomez began to understand the accident from another point of view.
“It’s insane when you look into a world you refused to acknowledge. I think I tried to convince myself that reality couldn’t be this real.”
Gomez’s reality check: having an 8 year-old boy die in her arms after being involved in an accident.
“At that moment I realized the pain that my carelessness caused.”
Tranter attributes many accidents involving youths to arrogance and carelessness.
“It’s hard for young adults to realize the severity of their actions. Many are too caught up in the current moment, and in that moment, answering a cell phone is the most important action they see taking place.”
Gomez also made her way onto high school campuses, where she set up a lunch-time table where she told her story to young drivers.
“I had them fill out quizzes about cell phones and driving — so many of them were oblivious to the dangers of it. It was really enlightening, and I left every day thinking that I may make them think twice about it.”
Unfortunately, the lessons are hard for many young drivers to learn.
“Many of the accidents that involve youths are attributed to things like a cell phone. What makes it even more tragic is that these incidents are completely avoidable,” said Tranter.
“I can drive and talk on my phone. It’s not that difficult,” exclaimed Patrick Maher, an MCC freshman.
“Teenagers and young adults are so cocky and always want to be victimized, never the one held responsible,” said Gomez. “But when that responsibility is forced upon you, you begin to think about the stupid decisions more critically.”
“I will only talk on the phone if I have my Bluetooth. I don’t have to look away, and I can keep both of my hands on the wheel.”
Hands-free technology is one thing Tranter is glad to see making its way into cars.
“Car companies are now putting the technology into new cars. I think it definitely makes a difference. Personally, I feel more comfortable when I use my hands free. It allows me to pay closer attention to my surroundings.”
“I think Arizona should adapt a hands-free only law. I think it would make a big difference in accidents,” said Matthew Martinez, an MCC freshman.
Whether it’s a cell phone, the radio, or a burger, all of these derive attention from where it should be - the road.
Volume
44, Issue 8. Today is
Scott Seligman/Mesa Legend
An MCC student cruises through a campus parking lot while chatting on his phone. He is one of many such drivers.