A woman from Westport. Connecticut, was driving through Fairfield when her car went out of control and she was involved in an accident. The authorities are now saying that the reason she lost control was that she was trying to grab a cigarette that she’d dropped, leaning over so she could reach it. Three cars were involved in the accident.
The woman, who is 48 years old, went over a double yellow line, swerving out of her own lane and moving toward oncoming traffic. She did not hit the first car hard, but still sideswiped it. After that, she slammed into a second vehicle.
Emergency crews came to the scene of the crash and took two people, who were driving those other cars, to the hospital. There, they were evaluated and treated. No injuries were reported for the woman who allegedly caused the accident. In reviewing the accident, the police cited the woman with two infractions.
Distracted driving is often thought of as using a cellphone while behind the wheel, perhaps to text and drive. However, it’s important to remember that there are many ways to be distracted while driving. Dropping something — whether it’s a phone, a piece of food or a cigarette — can definitely fall into this category. In seconds, distractions like these can cause serious accidents that injure other drivers and even take lives.
Anyone who has been hurt by a distracted driver or has lost a loved one because a driver took his or her eyes off of the road should find out what legal options to seek compensation are available.
Source: Fairfield Patch, “Dropped Cigarette Leads to 3-Car Crash in Fairfield,” Vincent Salzo, June 05, 2015