Politics & Government

Texting Drivers Could Lead to Penalty for Sender

Should the text message sender be responsible for distracting the driver? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Texting while driving can lead to penalties not only for the driver, but the person sending the message as well after a state appeals panel ruled Tuesday that the texter could be held civilly liable, according to the Daily Record.


The ruling was based on a Morris County case in which a Wharton man, Kyle Best, then 19, crashed into a motorcycle with two people riding. The 2009 crash resulted in a Dover couple each losing a leg when Best struck the motorcycle while allegedly texting. The couple settled with Best for $500,000.

Best was 18 at the time of the accident. However, even as the case was settled, the couple's lawyer sought a penalty against the person allegedly sending the text messages, Shannon Colonna, a then-17-year-old from Rockaway, for "aiding and abetting." Colonna had texted Best just before he lost control of his pickup truck.

While the appeals court ruled that obeying the law while behind the wheel is the responsibility of the driver, three appellate judges said the texter has a responsibility to refrain from sending messages when they know the receiver is driving, according to the Daily Record. Evidence was not found that Colonna knew Best was driving, but the case could set the precedent for other, similar cases.

TELL US: What do you think? Should the text message sender be responsible for distracting the driver? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.


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