Cell Phone a Factor in Santa Barbara Car Accident
Two Santa Barbara women were seriously injured in a car accident on Highway 154 west of San Antonio Creek Road in Santa Barbara County when the driver of the vehicle took her attention away from driving to retrieve her cell phone.
The vehicle containing the two women landed on its roof after driving off the road and a 30 foot embankment.
The accident happened when Miriam Duarte of Santa Barbara heard her cell phone ring and she leaned over to pick it up. When she did so, her vehicle drifted off the road and down the embankment. Both Ms. Duarte and her passenger were trapped upside down until they could be freed by members of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department and Sheriff's Department.
The two were transported to the hospital and, luckily, only suffered lacerations and complaints of pain.
The Jurewitz Law Group wants to remind everyone that inattention is the number 1 cause of car accidents--even more of a factor than alcohol or speed. Cell phones and other distractions greatly lead to inattention. Please remember that your duty as a driver is to safely drive your vehicle. Leave the distractions alone.
