Distracted Driving: The Mitch Walker Story

Distracted driving claimed 2841 lives and injured 400,000 people in 2018 alone. When a pedestrian is involved in a traffic crash, the potential for injury or death is much greater. It’s time we learn to “Pass with Care.”

[@BengtsonSusan]

THANK YOU for sharing Mitch's story. I am so glad he is alive to tell it. My sister, Ellen Bengtson, was hit by a man reading a FB notification instead of looking at the road, and did not live to tell her story after being taken in a helicopter to the nearest trauma center. My family had to say "goodbye" to her in the morgue. Please don't wait until your loved one is killed or hospitalized to take your responsibility as a driver seriously. Multi-tasking while driving is a deadly myth. It's not rocket science.

[@cherhitchcock6172]

WTFFF PEOPLE PUT THAT F PHONE DOWN AND STOP DRINKING AND DRIVING. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

[@rachelgarcia4301]

Too selfish, too ignorant. They won't stop unless examples are made of them and that's highly publicized... which will never happen.. For the same reason child abduction & their rape goes on: bleeding hearts won't allow it.

[@stephenfermoyle4578]

MITCH !! i am so glad you are back!! OMG wishing you and your wife all the best !!

[@handmaidenofthelord74]

ONE MOMENT CAN CHANGE A LIFE FOREVER. DO NOT TEXT AND DRIVE! THE LIFE YOU SAVE, JUST MAYBE YOUR OWN.

[@brianbodenhamer9285]

WOW.. Thank you for sharing.. That is an amazing recovery

[@intexticated]

I just hope this doesn't happen to anyone else ever again.

[@bugger1649]

Mitch I'm so glad you made it your story brought tears to my eyes, maybe it will wake up few bad drivers esp texters

[@AZHITW]

Where I live if your car is disabled on the freeway the best thing to do is park it in the emergency lane and get the hell away from your vehicle. Walk, run, or jump over as may barriers and put some distance between you and traffic because someone will run into your vehicle, they may not be distracted, but they won't realize your vehicle isn't moving until it's too late and run into it doing 78 mph. As for a flat tire, it is recommended you dive on the rim and get off the freeway, a new rim costs a lot less than a funeral or hospital stay.

[@evelynwildman1290]

Until states start making penalties for driving offenses harsher, people won’t care. The laws broken on a daily basis that impact lives is mind boggling, speeding, driving in left lane except to pass, tailgating, texting, using phone, it just goes on.hope her insurance paid for the medical care n adaptions to ur life

[@Biwabik223]

That sounds good until some punk lawyer finds the right braindead judge and overturns the law.

[@mitchswish21]

Inspiring bud

[@arboclimber]

So glad you made it buddy. I'm an ex UK fire fighter so I've seen injuries deaths so I am all for a ban on any technology that distracts the driver, we didn't need any of it back in 70s 80s so why now? Best wishes to you and your family.

[@rachelgarcia4301]

It wasn't clear how they knew it was distracted driving. I'd also like to know if the driver was prosecuted.

[@leeneufeld4140]

This is what I could find: "Investigators say 60 year old Richard Sanders hit Mitch and didn't stop. They believe he was on drugs and didn't have a license. "It makes me angry. I don't know who he was before, but I know that he destroyed a life," says Walker. He asks that drivers think of the lives on the side of the road, and don't let it happen again. Walker says, "It's not fair, and it's not right. So just get over. Just move over and slow down." Richard Sanders is charged with leaving the scene of an accident. He's being held on a $250,000 bond with a bond reduction hearing set for January 7th." And then from 2020 "A St. Louis man will spend the next seven years in prison for a hit and run in Laclede County. Richard Sanders, 62, was sentenced on Monday to seven years for leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in serious injuries. He was also sentenced to six months in the county jail on a charge of failing to yield to a stationary vehicle displaying caution lights. The accident happened in December 2018 when Sanders struck a mechanic who was working on a broken down semi along I-44 near Lebanon. Sanders was later arrested about 90 miles from where the crime occurred. The mechanic survived, but required more than two months of hospitalization for his injuries." Some obvious contradictions in reportage here, but I think the gist is correct. Anyway, the guy who did it got to cool his heels for a couple of years (I say that with some sarcasm).

[@danielhartin7680]

@@leeneufeld4140 Great work finding this information. Much appreciated.

[@debbymccormack6525]

It's impossible for me to live long enough to understand why people are so stupid and entitled.

[@denisebourret9156]

God Bless 💗🙏

[@craigsmith3683]

One problem is that young drivers think a cell-phone is part of them like a limb. Put your damn phone down.

[@GeorgePolaski]

quite obviously technological advances are a major cause of distractions but there are other forms of distraction that cannot be anticipated.

[@selenafanparasiempre]

By the grace of God Mitch lived to tell his story. A very lucky man.

[@ibrudejude]

I have a best friend for 37 years; she is alwaz on her phone texted and talking on her phone; 8 years ago I took her phone away from her I said to her WTF not on my watch; she has grand kids and says she can muilt task She ass rides she do not consider them grand babies; she has had so many accidents and accidents at drive throughs for food