BOONE COUNTY (DDN) – The Missouri State Highway Patrol verified that a 20-year-old man was preoccupied while driving down U.S. 63 on Thursday afternoon, resulting in a second death disaster while traffic stalled for another tragic accident up the road about an hour earlier.
rule enforcement has not confirmed whether the motorist was distracted by a phone, which may have serious consequences under Missouri’s new hands-free driving rule.
The law took full, enforceable effect on January 1. It elevates the felony of causing a deadly crash while distracted by a cell phone to a Class D Felony, with a maximum jail penalty of seven years. If law enforcement concludes that the driver who caused the second deadly incident was distracted by a phone, it will be the first time the new rule is used in the legal processes of a fatal crash in the state, according to a AAA representative.
AAA research discovered that speed restrictions, weather conditions, time of day, and distracted driving are the major causes of fatal crashes across the country.
“Speed and distraction are a deadly combination,” AAA spokesperson Nick Chabarria stated. “When you take your eyes off the road, even just to read a text message … you just traveled the length of a football field, essentially blindfolded.”
Under the legislation, authorities cannot directly pull over a driver for being on the phone, but if a driver is taken over for any other reason, they may face additional penalties for cellphone use.
AAA campaigned to have Missouri’s hands-free law passed. In 2023, the Missouri General Assembly passed legislation making Missouri the 49th state to prohibit texting and driving. Montana is currently the only state where texting, scrolling, and calling on a phone while driving is still permitted.
“Studies and research support that a hands-free law does reduce crashes, especially around the time frame when the law takes effect … the more the law is talked about … people seem to pay attention, and they put their phones down,” Chabarria told CNN.
KOMU 8 will continue to follow law enforcement updates for further information on how the driver involved in the incident on U.S. 63 was distracted.
Reference: Man who caused second fatal crash on U.S. 63 was distracted, officials say
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