Elderly Minnesota Woman Killed By Young Driver Checking Facebook

I can't tell you how many times I've seen bad drivers on the road lately, swerving between the lines, not using turn signals, or not keeping consistent speed -- I always wonder how someone can be that bad at driving. I often try to get alongside the driver to see why they are so bad at driving -- more often than not the result is not because they are that bad, but distracted, either browsing or talking on their cell phones. I cannot stress this enough people -- put your cell phones down and DRIVE! This tragic report is yet another testament to that advice. 20-year-old Abby E. Sletten was recently charged with negligent homicide after she rear-ended an SUV last May she didn't see making a U-turn because she was busy looking at photos on Facebook. The crash killed 89-year-old Minnesota woman Phyllis Gordon on Interstate 29 at a junction between Grand Forks and Fargo -- the driver of the SUV, Gordon's granddaughter survived the accident as did her young child. Slatten was not only speeding, traveling the interstate at over 84 mph at the point of collision, but the North Dakota State Troopers say there is no evidence on the road that Sletten even tried to brake. With that in mind, it was clear she was distracted while driving. A search warrant was used to obtain Sletten's phone and it was discovered that she was on her Facebook app looking at pictures at the moment of the crash. She also sent and received several text messages on her trip from Fargo.

So now this poor girl not only faces criminal charges and will likely serve time for negligent homicide, but now she has to live with the fact that she killed someone, because of pictures on Facebook. This is just more proof that distracted driving is not worth it -- hitting the "like" button and chatting with your friends on social media can wait until you get home. Driving, especially on the freeway, is a very dangerous activity that people all too often do not take seriously. Put your phones down and drive. Your life, and others, depend on your full attention to the road.   Photos via: Police Press Release