Texting on the Pali

Aloha!

The driver of a SUV involved in a near head-on collision Thursday on Maui has died from her injuries. http://mauitvnews.com/blog/http:/mauitvnews.com/blog/tag/traffic-fatality/

She was driving on the Pali, the stretch of curves, cliffs and tunnel just past Ma’alaea on the road to Lahaiana.

Maui Police say that 39 year-old Arlyn V. Visitacion of Lahaina was pronounced dead at 3:45 p.m. on August 31st. She had been in the intensive care unit at Maui Memorial Medical Center since the accident.

Police investigating say Visitacion was driving, Lahaina-bound, just Lahaina side of the pali tunnel when a Ford pickup truck crossed the center double line and impacted the Isuzu Rodeo she was driving. The impact stopped the car immediately, wedging it against rocks. Rescue crews had to use the jaws of life to extricate Visitacion and her female passenger – who is still listed in serious condition.

And guess what the guy who hit her was doing? TEXTING. On THE most dangerous, curvy stretch of road in all of Maui. He told police he’d gotten a text from his boss and was trying to read it. They are still trying to figure out if drugs or alcohol were involved. Would someone have to be drunk to be texting on the Pali, or just incredibly stupid?

This is happening way too often, this killing of people because someone can’t wait two minutes to get a message by pulling to the side of the road. And now, how many friends, loved-ones, family, possibly children, will forever be affected because one person selfishly couldn’t wait to read a text? And that’s exactly what it is: selfishness. That and believing it could never really happen to us.  Please, please THINK before you text!!

Thank you.

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Aloha, Jamaica