A young woman from Hudson, Wisconsin, was tragically killed yesterday on Minnesota Highway 95 in Washington County. Preliminary evidence gathered by the Washington County Sheriff Office and the Minnesota State Patrol suggests she died because another driver was distracted.
Minnesota State Patrol Preliminary Report
A Saab 9-3 Aero, driven by Drew Fleming, was traveling northbound on Highway 95 at 22nd Street North. A Ford Fusion, driven by Megan E. Goeltz, was sitting stationary at the intersection of 22nd Street North and Highway 95. The Saab crossed the lanes of traffic into the southbound ditch. It then hit an embankment, causing it to go airborne and crash into the Ford Fusion, killing Ms. Goeltz, who was only 22 years old. Our thoughts are with the family.
“Preliminary evidence suggests the driver of the Saab may have been distracted while driving,” says the MSP report.
Distracted Driving Takes Lives
The U.S. Department of Transportation has a campaign called “The Faces of Distracted Driving,” which are videos about people who have been seriously injured or killed by a distracted driver. We urge everyone to watch some of these videos. Parents, watch some with your children, even if they are young adults.
We are not sure at this point if the driver of the Saab was texting, but we do know from experience that texting is causing more and more accidents. Pullover to a safe location off of the road and answer a text if it is urgent; otherwise, just wait until you have reached your destination. Younger drivers may think, “It will only take a second, it won’t matter,” but it takes less than a second for an accident to occur and for someone to lose his or her life.
