Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO -- Two young girls escaped serious injury Tuesday after their stroller was hit by a driver who admits he was distracted by his cell phone. There is no question the quick thinking of the girls' mom saved them from really getting hurt.
Distracted driving is a factor in 1 out of 4 crashes nationally. -Zero Fatalities
The little girls were knocked out of their stroller while their mom was pushing them across the street near 300 South and 400 West in Provo. When Sherry Murray realized the car wasn't slowing down, she pushed the stroller out of the way.
"She was halfway through the intersection when she saw the car wasn't going to stop, and [she] didn't have time to push them back, so she jumped back herself and pushed them forward," explained Nathan Murray, the girls' father.
The driver looked up just before striking the stroller and was able to slam on his brakes. Still, the collision threw the young girls out of the stroller and onto the pavement.
Using a cell phone while driving, whether hand-held or hands-free, delays a driver's reactions as much as having a blood alcohol level of .08 percent. -Univ. of Utah
"I was just looking down at my cell phone to see what number I was returning a call with, and I looked up and there was those cute little children with the mom behind them," the driver, Lars, said.
Paramedics were dispatched to the scene, but fortunately the girls suffered only minor abrasions.
Related:
‘Near miss' serves as reminder to put away the cell phone
Tuesday's "near miss" in Provo could have ended in tragedy for a young family and a driver who looked down for just a second. It serves as the best reminder not to use our cell phones while driving."We're going to run her to the hospital to make sure there is no permanent damage," Nathan Murray said. "She hit her head pretty hard, and she's acting tired, so we'll go get her looked at."
The driver says this experience has cured him from ever wanting to use his cell phone while driving again, and he hopes others will learn from what he calls a very serious mistake.
"I hope this will be a lesson, not just to me, but to all cell phone users: Pull over to the side of the road before you use your cell phone," Lars said.
Provo police did give the driver a ticket for improper lookout.
The girls are now recovering at home. Doctors have told their parents to watch for any signs of concussion.
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
---
