CHRISTIANSBURG, Va.
A former Virginia Tech student will serve a year in jail for driving her sport utility vehicle into a crowd of people while sending a text message on her cell phone.
Montgomery County Circuit Judge Ray Grubbs on Wednesday ordered a sobbing 21-year-old Mary Elizabeth Bowen to serve one year of a six-year sentence he gave her for three felony maiming counts. She also will serve 10 days for a conviction of driving under the influence.
Bowen's vehicle veered onto a Blacksburg sidewalk in front of a sports bar about 2 a.m. on June 16, 2007, striking several people. At least eight were treated for injuries.
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Unfortunate
How many accidents have to happen like this before idiots pay attention to the road. I am so sick of almost being side swiped or run off the road by some jack a$$ on a cell phone. Dang people at least get Bluetooth!!!!!
Goodness?
Goodness? She should serve all 6 years. How many of those people will have issues related to their injuries in the future.
DUI
I think we're missing the point here, who cares if she was texting and driving, she was DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE, and the judge is letting her off lightly with a ten day slap on the wrist, I would have had her serve the entire sentence!
National News
I can only hope this news story gets picked up and dissemintated nationwide. It does no good if it remains a VA only story in helping to rid the roadways of these dangerous drivers. Good job, Judge.
It's a good start. .
But there needs to be a felony attached to "texting" in a car, moreover, for a State that makes a big deal out of an .08% BAC, why cell phone use in cars is still allowed is beyond me. It should be a $2000 fine for using a cell while driving. Yet another topic that Europe is in front of us on.
huh?
so let me get this straight - she got a year (albeit half suspended) for playing with her cell phone, but only 10 days for DRIVING DRUNK? i think the alcohol probably had a lot more to do with it than texting...
Hm..
I am guilty of texting and driving .. I will admit it. But generally .. people that can pull it off .. are people that know where they keys are and exactly how many times they have to press the right button to get to the letter they want. But, to be under the influence...driving...AND texting..you're just asking for trouble there.
Driving While Texting
Thank goodness for judges like Judge Grubbs. People, including young people who seem to think they are invincible and nothing like this could ever happen to them, need to see that the consequences for such reckless behavior are harsh.
One word describes the outcome of this
OUTSTANDING.
Finally, a judge who holds people accountable.