Teenage Driver Admits Texting In Petaluma Crash: Police

PETALUMA, CA — A teenage driver admitted to texting while driving in a collision last week on a Petaluma roadway, prompting the Petaluma Police Department to issue a community reminder about the dangers of distracted driving.

In the initial report about the crash on Petaluma Boulevard North, a caller told dispatchers the driver appeared intoxicated and was traveling in the wrong direction, the Petaluma Police Department said in a social media post.

Traffic investigators found that the violent force of the collision with the center guardrail caused the pickup truck to come to rest facing in the opposite direction.

"Given the extent of damage to the vehicle, the teenage driver is very lucky to escape without injury," police said. "When officers asked the driver what might have been responsible for the vehicle collision, the teenage driver admitted to texting on the cell phone."

Petaluma PD's Traffic Unit took the opportunity to remind parents to educate their children on the "real" dangers of distracted driving. The California Office of Traffic Safety reports that 4,000 teenagers die annually as a result of distracted driving collisions.

"We want every teenage driver in our community to arrive at their destinations safely," police said.

To increase driver safety, Petaluma PD encouraged parents to remind their teenagers to follow safety tips provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

1. If you must send or receive a text, pull over to a safe location and park your car first.
2. If you have passengers, appoint a "designated texter" to handle all your texting.
3. If you can’t resist the temptation to look at your phone, keep it in the trunk.