Girl Driver Killed in Crash Had Been Texting

By The Associated Press

HIGHLAND, Calif. -- Authorities say a 16-year-old girl who died after losing control of her car had been texting on her cell phone moments before the accident.

-------, of Highland, was driving on the Interstate 10 Freeway in Redlands when she lost control of her car and crashed. She died of head injuries.

Authorities say ----- had been driving drunk and was speeding. But another factor may have contributed to the crash.

Phone records show ----- was texting just before the accident. Her cell phone, which was flipped open, was found resting on the floorboard by her feet.

----' mother ---- said she hopes the accident will make other people think before texting and driving.

Top 5 Teen Driving Risks

The five top risks for teen drivers are driving at night, distractions in the car, speeding and racing, not using seat belts, and driving under the influence, according to the Teens in the Driver Seat program in El Paso.

More teen driving facts

2007 Traffic Safety Annual Assessment

2007 Traffic Safety Annual Assessment now online

The overall number of traffic fatalities in 2007 reached its lowest since 1994. This Annual Assessment provides highlights of the 2007 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data. Report here

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The Reason Foundation's 17th Annual Report on the Performance of State Highway Systems measures the performance of all state-owned roads and highways from 1984 to 2006. The study calculates the effectiveness and performance of each state in 12 different categories, including traffic fatalities, congestion, pavement condition, bridge condition, highway maintenance costs, and administrative costs. rest of article here

Report indicates driver in wreck that killed sheriff’s deputy was distracted by cell phone

The driver of a car that struck and killed a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy on his bicycle was distracted by a cell phone and other electronic devices during the accident, a Kansas Highway Patrol report said.

The report indicates that inattention and failure to yield the right-of-way by the 20-year-old driver were contributing circumstances in the wreck.

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Driver's ed teacher killed in accident in Minnesota

A driver's education instructor died Tuesday after he was involved in a crash while giving a lesson. ......, 58, was riding with a 15-year-old Chisago Lakes High School student when a Chevrolet Blazer that appeared to have run a red light slammed into their vehicle's passenger side door at state Highway 8 and Pioneer Road in Chisago County, the State Patrol said.

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Morgan Freeman seriously injured in car crash

(Reuters)

Oscar-winning U.S. actor Morgan Freeman was hospitalized in serious condition on Monday with a broken arm and other injuries after the car he was driving careened off a rural highway and rolled several times, authorities said.....

Freeman's injuries included a broken arm, a broken elbow and "minor shoulder damage," but the actor "was in good spirits when I spoke with him a short time ago" at the hospital trauma center in Memphis, his publicist, Donna Lee, told Reuters in a statement on Monday.

She said he would undergo surgery later in the day or on Tuesday "to help correct the damage." She added: "He says he'll be OK and is looking forward to a full recovery." ....

...he appeared to be headed toward his home, Mississippi Highway Patrol Sgt. Ben Williams said.. .... "The vehicle went off the edge of the road and flipped several times," Williams said. No other car was involved in the accident. Williams said it was "possible" that Freeman, who co-stars in the current blockbuster Batman movie "The Dark Knight," had fallen asleep at the wheel, but he added that authorities had ruled out alcohol as a factor in the wreck. ....

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