This Distracted Driver was caught texting and driving – and weaving – on SW 172nd Street earlier this week in Burien’s Three Tree Point neighborhood, when she did this…

…and then just drove away like nothing happened!

As you can see in the video, the force of the impact was powerful enough to cause the rear of the vehicle to rise up.

Surprisingly, the fire hydrant did not end up spraying water all over the place.

“Don’t text and drive! And then leave half your front-end littering the neighborhood!” said Ursula Haigh, who lives across from this location and whose security camera captured the video.

“I was watching people from my window this morning driving & texting – scary,” Ursula told The B-Town Blog.

Ironically, April is “Distracted Driving Awareness Month,” and under current state law, it is illegal to text or hold your phone to your ear while driving, and violators can receive a $136 ticket.

Drivers using cell phones behind the wheel are not only at a higher risk for a crash, during April they face a greater chance they will be ticketed for their risky behavior. Nearly 150 law enforcement agencies around the state are adding patrols looking specifically for those distracted by cell phones while operating their vehicles.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission recommends that drivers adopt the following five common-sense rules:

  1. Turn off your phone and put it in the glove box.
  2. If you’re a passenger, hold the driver’s phone.
  3. Don’t text or call a friend or loved one if you know they are driving.
  4. If using GPS on your phone, plug in the address before you start the car and use a mounted phone holder.
  5. Talk to family members (especially teen drivers) about the risks of cell phone use. Model responsible behavior by not using your phone while in the car.

Also, here’s a short time lapse video showing Water Dept. workers fixing the busted hydrant the same day:

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6 replies on “VIDEO: Burien driver demonstrates why you shouldn’t Text & Drive”

  1. Check the local Front End Alignment joints. That car most likely doesn’t drive very straight after that impact.

  2. I really hope the security cam captured the license number of the car and that police followed up. That will, if she’s caught and prosecuted, involve a LOT of $ in fines.

  3. Most collisions with hydrants do NOT result in the spray you often see in films. This is because the actual valve is well underground in the supply pipe. The above-ground works we see has a drive square at the top of a long (very long the farther north you get because of the frost line) steel rod. The other end of the rod spigots into the underground valve and simply pulls out as the hydrant is knocked over. The hydrant tube through the water rises to the outlets is a breakaway – it parts just below the hydrant proper upon being hit hard enough. I believe the breakaway point is usually just above the bolt flange. That way, replacement is usually very quick – don’t want a hydrant out of service for very long.

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