Contrary to the account given by a Washington woman about a car she rented in Arlington, dashcam footage has revealed a very different story, one that points to her own carelessness and could soon land her in serious trouble. A video posted on Reddit details the crash from start to finish. The footage begins with the woman driving one-handed, struggling to control both the steering wheel and the gearshift while her attention is split between the road and her phone. At several points, she let go of the wheel entirely, tapping away on her phone before alternating between using no hands and just one hand to steer.
Inevitably, her recklessness caught up with her. With both hands off the wheel and her eyes glued to her phone, she crashed into what appeared to be a roadblock. By the time she looked up, it was far too late to regain control. Even in that critical moment, she kept her phone tightly in her hand, leaving herself with just one free hand to react.
Immediately after the crash, she stopped the car, dropped her phone, and let out a scream. She clenched her fists in frustration, then opened her hands and pressed her palm against her face before lowering it moments later. Taking a deep breath, she tried to resume driving, her expression betraying little sign of genuine remorse.
The video sparked a flood of reactions online. One outraged user wrote, โSheโs goddamn lucky she didnโt kill someone. No text is worth prison. Iโm terrified of these idiots. Every driver on the road is risking death.โ
Another exclaimed, โWho the hell drives like that?! 20% eyes on the road, 80% on the cellphoneโฆ Sheโs absolutely bonkers.โ Pointing out the obvious, someone else added, โBOTH hands off the wheel. And then she has the audacity to look surprisedโฆโ Some even called for her license to be revoked. โThis video should be used as evidence to permanently remove her driverโs license,โ one commenter argued.
Another mocked her misplaced priorities, saying, โThat wasnโt just distracted drivingโฆ she was texting so hard she was distracted by the driving.โ
One user highlighted her stubbornness during the crash itself: โWhatโs just as dumb is that during the actual impact, she didnโt even let go of the phone to control the car.โ Her fleeting moment of regret also drew sharp criticism. โShe felt bad for about four seconds and then went right back to her phone,โ a viewer remarked.
To make matters worse, the caption of the video revealed that the car owner, who had trusted her with his property, now plans to pursue legal action against her for the damage caused.