Did distracted driving cause 3 fatal crashes? - The Courier
Distracted driving may have played a role in three recent Hancock County crashes that killed two young mothers and a grandfather, law enforcement officials say. Authorities are investigating if cellphone use played a role in the separate crashes that killed Dale Addington, Amanda “Mindy” Peterson, and Anne Bacon. “I absolutely do not think people realize how dangerous it can be,” Lt. Matt Crow, commander of the Findlay post of the State Highway Patrol, said of distracted driving. On May 25, Addington, 64, of Findlay, was driving westbound on Ohio 15 in a 2015 Subaru Outback, according to the State Highway Patrol. Erin Lynch, 19, of Maumee, was driving a 2006 Toyota Camry east on Ohio 15 when the Toyota abruptly went off the left side of the road, into the median and into the westbound lanes, the patrol said. Dale Addington was pronounced dead at the scene, according to patrol reports. A coroner’s report said Addington was wearing his seat belt, but suffered multiple blunt trauma. Mary Addington and Lynch were both taken by medical helicopter to Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, the patrol reported. Officials are not sure if the crash was caused by distracted driving, Lt. Crow said. Officials have issued a warrant for Lynch’s phone and will be investigating if it was being used around the time of the crash. Source: thecourier.com
