The Deadly iPod Accident, Or Not?

2 people were hit by a car due to a 20-year-old trying to work her iPod rather than operating the car she was driving.

Police: iPod Led To Deadly Drexel Hill Crash

DREXEL HILL, Pa. (CBS 3) ―One person was killed and a second was critically injured in a crash outside Delaware County Memorial Hospital Friday. A young driver reportedly distracted by an iPod was involved in a deadly crash in Drexel Hill Friday, police said.

The driver, Rachel Jankins of Havertown, was treated and released from the hospital.

Investigators believe Jankins may have been distracted by an iPod at the time of the crash.

"She apparently was having problems with her iPod, reached down, wasn't paying attention, lost control of the vehicle," Superintendent Michael Chitwood explained. "The vehicle crossed over the two northbound lanes, went up onto the sidewalk, the young girls had their back to the vehicle, the vehicle just ran over them."

So far, no charges have been filed. The investigation into the deadly crash is ongoing.

Why are we so quick to blame inanimate objects for our own wrong actions? Why are cellphones and iPods blamed for our own wrong decisions to fool with them when we should be driving? Why are guns blamed for their operators wrong decisions to use them illegally? Since when have inanimate objects become more responsible for actions than the supposedly conscience thinking beings operating them?

What ever happened to PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY?

I'll fix the problem for you.

New police info:
Irresponsible teen aged girl distracted while playing with her ipod kills two others.

I guess it does matter how you word your statement.

Another hypothetical case:
Woman talking on cell phone causes automobile wreck.

I'll fix it even further.

"Driver who killed 1 and critically injured another sentenced to life in prison without option for parole for her irresponsibility. She will be shipped to the Northern Alaska Work Labor Prison immediately to serve out her sentence."

That sounds a lot better.

reply to post by Ferris.Bueller.II


I agree with you 100 percent.

It’s not the object it’s the irresponsibility of the person.

Put the accountability back where it belongs.

There is a bigger issue here and if people can't see it will not be me who spoon feeds you... Use your heads people...

S&F!

peace




[edit on 15-8-2009 by silo13]

I will actually go with this. People blame the item, not the user.


But people just don't think.

My grandfather owned a construction and equipment company and got sued because one of the dump trucks backed out of a driveway and ran over a jogger. It is a very sad story but the woman at the time had one a walkman, and couldn't hear the backup noise. She lost the case.

People need to use these things responsibly.

I don't see how this is a conspiracy (conspiracy forum?).

It's just the media's way of grabbing people's interest. Most people have heard of an iPod, it's the most well known music player around. Putting iPod in the headline is going to catch people's attention, and when they put it into a headline like "Police: iPod Led To Deadly Drexel Hill Crash", people are going to want to find out more.

It's just media marketing tactics, and it was the stupid girl's fault for not focusing on her driving.

[edit on 15/8/09 by dmorgan]

reply to post by dmorgan


The big question is will the girl be held responsible for her actions, or will this just lead to another 'take the toys away' legislation fiasco, like they did with texting while driving. Of course it's bad to text message while driving. Everybody with an IQ above their shoe size knows that. But then 'personal responsibility' comes into play. If you do it, you are irresponsible, not the cellphone people want to legislate against.

Mitchell Hinderson

A great wiki page on another case of Ipod being blamed for something someone did.

Then there was that case of the idiot getting hit by a train because his Ipod was too loud.

reply to post by Ferris.Bueller.II


wtf.. They let this woman off the hook, because she was having trouble with her IPOD?

Always amazed at our justice system. People put in jail for things they don't need to be. Then people don't get put in jail or punished for things they need to be..

Originally posted by Miraj
reply to post by Ferris.Bueller.II

 

wtf.. They let this woman off the hook, because she was having trouble with her IPOD?

Always amazed at our justice system. People put in jail for things they don't need to be. Then people don't get put in jail or punished for things they need to be..

She hasn't been let off the hook. The police are investigating the accident. But is free, and out in the community. Hopefully not driving anymore, but I bet that ain't so.

reply to post by Ferris.Bueller.II


Even so, one has to ask themselves. When someone causes an accidental death because they had trouble with their ipod.. That seems to qualify as a crime.