Chance Bothe Texts 'I Need To Quit Texting' Before Near-Deadly Truck Crash
The Huffington Post
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By Britney Fitzgerald
"I need to quit texting, because I could die in a car accident."
That was one of the final texts written by 21-year-old Chance Bothe
before his truck plummeted off a Texas bridge and into a ravine. Bothe
miraculously survived despite suffering brain injuries and breaking
nearly every bone in his body, including his cheekbones, neck and skull.
He also had to be brought back to life three times, reports WBTV.
This past Wednesday Bothe left the hospital after a six-month stay
that included numerous reconstructive surgeries and intensive
rehabilitation (he even had to learn how to speak again), according to ABC13. Though the incident took place January 24, only now is he able to discuss the crash.
"Don't do it. It's not worth losing your life," Bothe said of texting behind the wheel, per the Daily News.
"I went to my grandmother's funeral not long ago, and I kept thinking,
it kept jumping into my head, I'm surprised that's not me up in that
casket. I came very close to that, to being gone forever."
As smartphones increasingly play a role in our lives, so too does
distracted driving. Dr. Jacob Joseph from Bothe's rehabilitation program
told the Daily News
that the he is treating an increased number of patients injured because
of texting on the road. "And unfortunately I don’t think we’re going to
see a decrease in that anytime soon," Dr. Joseph said.
But driving under the influence of your phone isn't the only issue;
pedestrians are also in danger. Recent security camera footage revealed a
shocking incident in which a Philadelphia man fell onto train tracks
as he distractedly walked and talked on his cellphone. (Luckily there
were no trains were headed his way, and the man escaped to safety.)
"If I had a kid 16 years old starting to drive, they could have a
phone but the texting feature wouldn’t be on it," Bothe's father told KHOU.
Bothe
believes one of his reasons for still being alive is to spread the
message he learned all too well. "I still have things to do in this
world," he said, as reported by KHOU. "I should tell everyone not to text message and drive."
Do you text and drive (or walk)? Have you ever had a dangerous
experience because you or because someone else was distracted? Let us
know in the comments section, or tweet your experience to us (@HuffPostTech).
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