Many states now have laws in place to thwart tragedies like this one, but that does not stop people from using cell phones when they drive. Cell phone use while driving is more than a bad habit, it is tragically dangerous, and fatalities are on the rise because of the practice.
Recently Mississippi Highway Patrol was at the scene of a deadly morning crash between Katelyn Ray, 17, and a school bus in Panola County. Though no one on the bus was harmed, the teen lost her life.
In a Facebook post from The Chester County Sheriff’s Office, the department delivered a dire warning to others.
“***PAY ATTENTION!!*** The driver of the car was 17-years-old. No black marks because she never hit the brakes and she still had the cell phone in her hand when they removed her from the car,” the post read.
Katelyn was on her way to pick her sister up from her job when the accident occurred. The close family immediately began to worry when she did not show up on time.
“About 7:30 a.m. when she wasn’t there, that’s when we started worrying,” her sister told a local news outlet.
TEEN KILLED AFTER SCHOOL BUS ACCIDENT – The Mississippi Highway Patrol confirms a 17 year old girl died in a school bus crash on Highway 315 in Panola County. Officials say the teen reared the School Bus in her car around 7:15 a.m. Wednesday morning. @LocalMemphis pic.twitter.com/gfuljk5sh1
— Annette E. Peagler (@Local24Annette) September 5, 2018
Katelyn was a proud aunt and was pursuing a GED when she died.
What a sad, yet avoidable loss. We pray for the family as they mourn and learn to navigate life without this happy, bubbly young woman in it.
