Texting Messages while Driving Cause Car Accident

Tuesday March 15, 2011 at 8:00am

A driver who sent text messages whilst  driving hit and killed a 74 year old pensioner on 27 August 2009 at 8.30am on the A15 near Hull.

Simpson, 45, had viewed two websites on his mobile phone while driving and had sent and received text messages - had sent the last one moments before ploughing into the rear of Peter Scarah's van.

After the car accident, Simpson deleted all the messages from his phone and told the police he dad "no recollection" of using his mobile phone.

But police officers recovered messages from his network service provider showing he had repeatedly used his phone in the five miles from the Humber Bridge to the accident's location.

A jury convicted Simpson of causing death by dangerous driving and he was jailed for six years.

When sentencing him, judge Jeremy Baker QC told Simpson: "Its quite clear the nature of your driving which caused this accident, was because you were using a phone to read text messages you had received, reply to them or to be on the internet."

After the hearing, Mrs Scarah, 78, said: "We had 42 years of married life and he wiped that away."

» Categories: Road traffic accidents
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