We all know that texting while driving is bad and dangerous. In many places, it's also illegal. Of course, that doesn't stop people from doing it, and one dad in Ohio is facing criminal charges for a split second decision that ended the life of his daughter.
Jonathan Harp of Lima, Ohio may go to prison for a year after he pleaded guilty to attempted vehicular homicide. The father of two daughters, both of whom were in the car, was allegedly going 55 miles an hour when he slammed into the back of a pick-up truck. Though he denied it at first, he later admitted he was texting. According to WHIOTV:
The impact of the crash caused his car to bounce in another lane and hit a third vehicle. Harp's daughter Macy died in the crash and his 7-year-old daughter Shannon was seriously injured.
It should serve as a reminder to us all.
Believe me, I know that the comments on this piece will all claim that they don't text and drive. They will all say that they're so much better than Harp and whatever else. But I won't. I will be honest.
I have texted while driving. I try not to, certainly, and I usually wait until I'm stopped, especially now that it's illegal. But I have done it. And I have also almost hit someone from behind. I can completely imagine how this could happen. He could have been in a rush, texting his wife to tell her to pick up groceries so he could start dinner (or some other scenario), and he made a bad decision in an instant that killed his child.
It was stupid and irresponsible and, yes, it was illegal, too. But his 7-year-old daughter is in critical condition. She may not make it either. Assuming he has a wife, both his wife and daughter need him to not be in prison. Personally, if that were me (and thank god it isn't), there is no punishment that the state could hand me that would be worse than the guilt. I am not even sure I could survive it.
Assuming this man loved his daughters, then I'm not sure jail time is appropriate. He ought to lose his license and be forced to educate others. Certainly his story, however brief, has made me look at my own habits a little more closely. No, I would likely not text with my children in the car while going 55 MPH, but I highly doubt that he intended to kill anyone. It was a dumb, horrible mistake and he will pay for it in a million ways. Jail time can't make it any worse.
Do you think he should go to jail?
Image via mrJasonWeaver/Flickr
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Comments 391
Thank you, RWF. The double standard is disgusting. This man killed his child, and broke the law. When you break the law, you face the consequences. The legal ones, and the natural ones. It sucks for his wife and his (hopefully) surviving child, but he should absolutely go to jail. He would obviously be going to prison if the child he had killed had not been his, and had been in the other car. Yes, he made a horrible decision, yes he is probably heartbroken. BUT, he is not above the law because of his grief.
Just wondering Ash, how did you read your texts without looking away from the road? Like I said, I'm guilty of it, and I KNOW there is a HUGE difference between texting while driving and changing the climate in my car or changing the music. And being tired is also not a good thing when driving, if you are seriously fatigued it is as bad, if not worse then drunk driving. I've driven while tired as well, to the point where I knew that I had to pull over before it became a life or death situation with me and/or the other drivers on the road.
No matter the answer, this is just tragic all the way around. i'm sure that father didn't plan, or expect, what happened to happen, but it did...just really an awful situation for everyone involved.
Aside from being personally responsible to the other vehicles he hit and the people in those vehicles he injured, he shouldn't go to jail. He's learned his lesson now, watching his daughter struggle to fight for her life. The fights he and his wife are going to have will be wrenched with pain, anger, maybe even some hatred. He's not going to be able to even look at a car without remembering what he did.
I'm not a texting driver, not even a quick message. I have a bluetooth, that works just fine and a quick phone call doesn't really take anymore time than a quick text.
He should totally go to jail. How is that going to teach all the teens NOT to do it when you want to let him off the hook? I don't text and drive, but I also just don't text. I have nothing to say that can not be said in a phone call. Never saw the point in it.
Oh my gosh, how sad. I honestly cannot say what I think he deserves. I am sure the guilt will haunt him forever, whether he goes to jail or not. :(
Drivers already get off easy in this country. You can kill a pedestrian or a cyclist, and if they weren't wearing reflective tape with a neon sign strapped to their head you will probably get off scott free.
We have gotten way too complacent about reckless driving and the countless lives it takes each year. It is appalling how many people die each year from traffic accidents like this, and yet we all keep giving excuses for one another. We accept it though because we are addicted to our vehicles and aren't willing to sacrifice for the collective safety. Why? The punishments aren't that harsh. Ask anyone whose main form of transportation isn't a car how hard it is to prove the driver is at fault in the case of a collision.
It should not only be harder to a license in this country, but it should be easier to lose it and harder to get it back. In a lot of cases, half the fight is education.
In this case though, some compassion is in order. It was his daughter, and I agree he is probably punishing himself enough. I don't think the law always needs to be so black and white. Jail time would probably better served if he had to go give mandatory talks to schools.
Don't let this one case get the best of you though. Distracted driving kills, and will continue to kill, as long as we ignore the large number of deaths automobiles cause each year.
If he was a teen, everyone would say JAIL!!! As an adult and a parent, he knows better. And must pay the price. Yes, he lost one of his children. He killed her. He just could not wait and had to be irresponsible. And he hit another car, and he tried to lie. He knew he was wrong. People get away with way too much. Time to put a stop to that. And, I also agree that the double standard here is quite disgusting! Yell for jail over schooling, but, texting, and killing and injuring your kid(s) is okay??