Blog Post

California Senator Injures Two in Cell Phone-Distraction Car Crash, Gets Probation

Posted by: Robert Reeves
August 16, 2007
Topic: Auto Accidents

Since California passed a law starting in 2008 that bans handset cell phone use, you would think that California legislators would be more aware and careful drivers than most. In fact, at the signing ceremony for that law in 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger urged all drivers to "stop using them now. You are putting people at risk. You could kill [a] child just because you were looking down at your phone." So surely California legislators understand how essential it to devote your full attention to driving while on the road. State Senator Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) disproved that theory in May when she accidentally slammed into a stopped car because she was distracted by talking on her cell phone, injuring a woman and her three-year-old daughter.

The Los Angeles Times reports that before the collision 911 received several calls from concerned drivers saying that an SUV, which turned out to be Migden's state-leased vehicle, was hitting guardrails and swerving in and out of lanes. They also mention she was talking on a cell phone while making these dangerous maneuvers. Investigators for the California Highway Patrol concluded that Migden was speeding on Interstate 80 before she hit the car in Fairfield. In a classic bit of political self-contradiction, Migden said she has "always accepted full responsibility for the accident I caused," but also that "the driving incident was the result of a medical condition."

On August 11, she was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay $710 in fines and court fees. This high profile accident will hopefully inspire other drivers to concentrate on the road while driving, and conduct all in-car eating, talking, or personal grooming while safely parked.

Many reported accidents involve a single distracted driver, so it is vital to always be aware of yourself and other cars even when traveling a short distance.

If you feel you have suffered serious personal injury in an auto accident due to another driver's recklessness, please contact the experienced auto accident attorneys at The Reeves Law Group. The consultation is free, and it might mean the difference between paying for your medical bills yourself and getting the compensation you deserve.


The California personal injury attorneys at The Reeves Law Group represent victims of accidents, injuries and wrongful death throughout California from our offices in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, Fresno County, Kern County, Sacramento County, San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, Antelope Valley, Torrance, Glendale, Bakersfield, Santa Ana, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Ontario, and Victorville.