Dropped Cellphone Causes Fatal Wreck

I guess there's a reason they passed a law banning handheld cellphone use while driving:

A Fontana driver died earlier today during a freeway crash in Fountain Valley triggered when she dropped her cell phone and crashed her car while looking for it, authorities said.

The 33-year-old woman, identified by coroner's officials as Gladis A. Andrade-Zepeda, of Fontana, was driving her Chevrolet Impala on the 405 freeway just north of Bushard Street around 4:28 a.m. when she dropped her cell phone, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Dana Anderson said.

As Andrade-Zepeda was looking for the phone, her car swerved across lanes and hit the center divider, Anderson said. She and one of her other passengers – a 31-year-old woman – got out of the car.

It was completely dark because the car's headlights had been broken. A male passenger was still in the backseat.

Andrade-Zepeda tried to help the man get out, Anderson said. Suddenly, a Chevy Malibu came into the carpool lane and broadsided the Impala.

"They were unable to stop," Anderson said of the Malibu's two passengers, a male driver and a male passenger. "It appears they were going at a regular highway speed at the time."

Andrade-Zepeda was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Based on the severity of the injuries, it's quite possible she was entwined between both cars," Anderson said.

There was a rule that is beaten into the heads of everyone going through pilot training: Always fly the airplane. In other words, no matter what else is going on, don't forget to keep flying the airplane because distractions that take you away from that duty can get you in big trouble.

It's no different with cars, though with cars the opportunity for trouble can come on much more quickly.

I remember a story from three years ago in which a driver lost control of her minivan when she dropped a pack of gum and was trying to find it. Two teens died in that wreck.

In other words, you can find the cellphone or the gum later when the car is parked.