Haverhill, MA (PRWEB) June 08, 2012
HAVERHILL, Mass. (Commonwealth v. Deveau, Haverhill Dist. Court, 1138 CR 741)--- Massachusetts teenager Aaron Deveau has been found guilty of motor vehicle homicide and negligent operation for causing a fatal car crash while texting. The jury reached the guilty verdict on their second day of deliberations. Deveau was sentenced to 2 and 1/2 years, with 1 year to serve and 18 months suspended. He will be 33 years old before he is cleared to drive again. Boston car accident lawyer Peter Bellotti observed much of the highly publicized texting-while-driving criminal trial in Haverhill District Court. The case was the first of it's kind in the state. Attorney Bellotti is closely connected to the trial, as his personal injury firm in Boston, Bellotti Law Group, represents the victims of the crash in a civil suit. The case stemmed from a February 2011 car accident in Haverhill in which Donald Bowley was killed and his girlfriend, Luz Roman, was seriously injured. The accident occurred when Deveau crossed the centerline of traffic after being distracted by text messaging.
The trial featured emotional testimony from Bowley's sister, Donna Burleigh, and girlfriend, Luz Roman. Bowley's family, including his three children, were also in attendance. Prosecutors alleged that the teen exchanged 193 texts on the day of the fatal car crash, including during the moments before the accident.
According to the National Safety Council, an alarming 1.6 million car crashes each year are attributed to cell phone use, including talking and texting while behind the wheel. This has prompted lawmakers on the state and federal level to pass stringent laws regarding distracted driver and texting-while-driving in particular. Pursuant to federal law, truck and bus drivers are completely prohibited from texting while driving. Under Massachusetts state law, texting while driving is also completely forbidden. Massachusetts was the twenty-ninth state nationwide to enact the full ban, which prohibits texting, emailing, web surfing, and reading from handheld devices and laptops. Further, drivers under age 18 are banned entirely from cell phone use, including talking and texting, while driving. If a driver causes an accident while texting, as in this case, in Massachusetts, they may face criminal charges.
According to Boston personal injury lawyer Peter Bellotti, "Texting while driving is reckless and dangerous. If a texting-while-driving car accident results in a fatal accident, the offender may be sued for wrongful death. If a negligent driver is texting and causes property damage or an injury to another, the driver will be held liable and will likely be on the hook for more compensation. In short, the laws in Massachusetts and nationwide are stringent for a reason." Bellotti's colleague, Boston personal injury attorney and Boston car accident attorney Karen Piso Nadeau added that "This case is a prime example of how even commonplace negligence can forever alter the lives of many. Texting while driving simply cannot be tolerated, because of the devastating effects that often result."
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