Home > Crime > Teen Sentenced To One Year In Jail After Causing Fatal Car Crash While Texting

Teen Sentenced To One Year In Jail After Causing Fatal Car Crash While Texting

June 7, 2012 at 11:02 am by Morbid

HAVERHILL, Mass. - In a landmark case out of Massachusetts, 18-year-old Aaron Deveau was convicted of causing a fatal accident while texting.

He was sentenced to one year in jail and becoming the first person in that state to be convicted of a new criminal charge, texting while driving negligently and causing injury, that just took effect in September 2010.

Last February, a then 17-year-old Deveau was driving a car that crossed the center line and crashed head-on into a pickup truck driven by 55-year-old Donald Bowley, who would die from his injuries a few weeks later.

During his trial it was revealed that Deveau had sent 193 texts from his mobile phone on the day of the accident. Deveau testified that he never sent any of the texts while driving, that he drifted into the wrong lane while thinking about homework. Police say this is not true, and they had phone records showing some of the texts sent from Deveau’s phone were done so moments before the fatal collision.

On Wednesday, the jury sided with prosecutors and found Deveau guilty of motor vehicle homicide and negligent operation while texting. Later that same day, Deveau was sentenced to 2 ½ years behind bars with a year to serve and the remainder suspended. He will also have to perform 40 hours of community service and lose his driver’s license for 15 years.

“There are no winners today. A beloved grandfather is dead. A once active woman can no longer work and is still racked with pain from her injuries and a young man is going to jail,” District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said. “The Massachusetts Legislature passed a law banning texting and driving because it is so dangerous. As we saw in this case in a split second, many lives are forever changed.”

I normally post these stories to scare the hell out of myself, as I have a teen who just got his license and like most teens, he usually has his face buried in his phone as he sends and receives text messages 24/7. Since I am an adult and automatically placed in the teenager category of stupid and clueless, I like to send stories like this to his Facebook so he and his friends can see their peers and how they destroyed their lives, and others, in just a matter of seconds.

Interestingly enough, it’s not even teens I see on the road causing problems by texting, but rather adults talking on them. If you cannot maintain a steady speed while talking on a mobile phone, please hang up before I lose it and ram you and your stupid ass crossover, with the stupid ass family member stickers on the back window, right into a friggin’ ditch.

Tags: Aaron Deveau, crash, Crime, Donald Bowley, Massachusetts, texting

96 Comments

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blubberdong

Quit finger-fucking your phones on the road.

This has been a public service announcement.
Chinchillazilla

Most of the time if someone’s going waaay under the speed limit and I pass them, I can look over and see them texting away. But the other day I was passed by some asshole on the highway doing at least seventy, and damned if that fucker wasn’t texting too. Scary.
http://akemi-mokoto.me/ Akemi Mokoto

I hope he enjoy’s his stay. =^_^=
Lena60

Good, Iam glad he was sentened.Lol Morbid my hubby hates seeing drivers texting , as he is a truck driver and sees this all the time.He says we should be allowed to put rubber bumpers on our cars , to bump people like this off the roads.
JohnQknowitall

Morbid you are a smart man to be very afraid and to pass your concerns on to your child and his friends.

I think the sentence here is as fair as possible.
Zwietracht

I pass people all the time doing crazy shit like that. Both hands off the wheel, looking down in their lap, driving with their elbows and knees, reading bloody newspapers on their steering wheel… I have yet to understand why anyone thinks multitasking and driving is a good idea. I’m way too terrified of OTHER people to even consider looking away from the road, anything else can wait till I’m stopped somewhere. Especially since I travel a 3-6 lane interstate everyday that wasn’t very well thought out regarding on-ramps and such. Bah.
derae

I freaking hate those stick figure families stickers.
LuvsHorror

Texting and driving should be right up there with drunk driving. You know you might kill someone in both cases, yet choose to do it.
Zazen

Plus I’m waaay too paranoid about just offering up any information about my family (and any small children might be in it) to any interested parties.
http://www.facebook.com/lolabelle13 Rheana ‘Love’ Tarrants

Awful all around.. but damn it, I have to agree with Morbid. Why do people go retarded when they try to talk on the phone and drive? Driving 20 under, swerving all around, waiting a full 30 seconds before going at that green light…
sugarpie

I hate that he wasn’t remorseful enough to admit that’s why he wrecked. Geez dude, you killed someone!
newstarshipsmell

Man, this guy is such a stupid *SCREEECH* *HONK* *SMASH*

…
newstarshipsmell

Hmmm, I wonder if anyone offers those car window signs, the yellow caution diamonds, with the caption “PEDO BAIT ON BOARD”
https://twitter.com/#!/AngelsMom0806 Angels Mom

Check you PM.
http://truecrimereport.com iLLusionS

Yeah I am glad that texting while driving is getting the spotlight shown on it more and more. ANY distraction while driving is a bad idea. And having to concentrate on making sentences, and driving are just two combinations that don’t mix.
If it is so important to talk about, wait until your ass get’s home.Or else you and someone else may not make it home.
Zazen

One of the articles linked above had this quote that kinda made me grind my teeth.

’Deveau’s mother said, “my son did not intentionally hurt anybody. He would never.”‘

Sorry your son’s going to jail lady (eh, scratch that, I’m not one bit sorry) but respectfully blow it out your ass. He intentionally texted while driving. That is almost the same as getting behind the wheel and saying ‘How about ruining some lives today!? I feel a game of bumper cars coming on!!’
Zwietracht

I saw a variation on one the other day that had another stick figure dropping a bomb on the traditional little stick family. Now, those are pretty cool.
Zazen

Isn’t that what all those little stick figure stickers really are?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Sarah-Silcox-Martin/1460419094 Sarah Silcox Martin

I agree but it isn’t like drunk driving gets stiff penalties to begin with. It’s always a slap on the wrist and then they’re back out drinking and driving. I’ve lost several friends to drunk driving and it really makes me angry that people are stupid and still do it.
newstarshipsmell

Replied. Enjoy.
https://twitter.com/#!/AngelsMom0806 Angels Mom

Got it. And how YOU doin’?
DangerousKindOfSnark

Last time, it was a damn octogenarian on cell phone weaving about on the fricken’ highway and going about 55. I wanted to ram her from behind until the phone flew out of her hand. I know old people are running out of time to say shit, but what the hell do 80-year-olds even have to talk about?
DangerousKindOfSnark

I don’t know if they’re pedo bait, but I do consider them to be obnoxious as shit. I just lump them in with my other asshole early warning indicators, like vanity plates and HHRs.
newstarshipsmell

Well I’m 20 minutes late to go help my friend pack to move. And she lives 45 minutes away. And I still need to shower and dress. And I’m still here posting on D’D… My favorite donuts are at her place getting stale (she texted me to ask what I like.)
newstarshipsmell

I have vanity plates. Stealthily obscene vanity plates. Paid for with unemployment compensation.

tarsh 2
gubment 0
Valerie

Last night I was going to see my grandma in the hospital. Some dumb chick nearly drives up our ass and whips around us. I looked over and she had her iIPhone up in the air texting away with one hand on the wheel. I told Vince to do a PIT maneuver on her car, but he wouldn’t listen to me.
Valerie

Bowel movements?
Valerie

Hey now!!! We have a vanity plate. Vince is proud of his service, and he was a U.S. Army Cavalry Scout. So our plate is US CAV lol.
LuvsHorror

I also think drinking and driving should right up there with at least second degree murder. I’m sorry for your loss. I can imagine how frustrated you are.
newstarshipsmell

Complain to their friends about all the impatient young ‘uns riding their ass on the highway?
https://twitter.com/#!/AngelsMom0806 Angels Mom

Go help the woman already!
DangerousKindOfSnark

Right, as if they’re perceptive enough to carry on a conversation, maintain their 20mph below the speed limit, and be aware of what the other drivers are doing? The jokes are going in the other story thread.
DangerousKindOfSnark

No, you are mistaking the donation plates with vanity plates. I’m taking about the ones with MY SYN on the back of their cars. If that’s not a douche indicator than I guess I don’t know what a douche is.
newstarshipsmell

Okay. Since you say so.
tdavid6

Yeah, no redemption in this case, I’m afraid.
tdavid6

Awww, you have such a soft spot, DKOS. You don’t fool me
RedArt

Just the other day I was driving, and this bitch texting on her phone made me slam on my brakes and swerve. I swear, I was almost ready to finish and with the lotion on my right hand, I almost went off the road. Gave me blue balls too. They need to fry these people who text when driving.
CT

I’m so with you on this @Zahzen:disqus Sure, he didn’t go out that day thinking – hmm, I will slam into someone with my car today but as soon as he picked up his phone and starting texting – he made the decision to be selfish and think of no one but himself. I won’t even talk on my cell phone in the car. Too many dumb asses on the road I need to pay attention to them and can’t be distracted.
CT

I do have a sticker on my car that says IHC. I don’t do stickers normally but I do have that.
tdavid6

An old person driving a Buick and talking on a cellphone. It’s the Trifecta of bad driving.
CT

Yesterday I decided to stop at the grocery on my way home from work. A woman driving in a fucking Smartcar was all over the place in front of me, stopping in the middle of the road and driving 10 in a 25. Finally she turned into the grocery lot with me. Being CT, I was flailing my arms all over the place and mouthing WTF behind her. She said to me – “do you have a problem?” I said, ” I was just wondering how you found a car that doesn’t have turn signals because either you don’t have them or you don’t know how to use them.” She said nothing.

I hate drivers as it is so please don’t add texting to it to make yourself even dumber. My head could explode.
JGo555

If I see any of my friends talking on the phone while driving, I make the sign for them to hang up.

This includes my boss.
JGo555

Fiber intake?
JGo555

THere’s one around my town that says: “MYLINC”
DangerousKindOfSnark

Thanks. I’m a hard ass, but with a velvet glove. Also, I love sharks, just love them. Two of our cars have ocean plates and the third has the space shuttle plate, cause science rules!
DangerousKindOfSnark

I have cooties? I <3 chaos? Insane Riot Clowns? I give up, what does IHC mean?
DangerousKindOfSnark

Exactly the ones I mean. If it makes me laugh you get a pass, not that anyone with “MYLINC” on the back of their car cares what I think. I like to try and make really offensive meaning out of them. Like, Male Inc. cause it’s a stripper’s car.
Valerie

Ours displays that he is a combat veteran. The only good vanity plate I have ever seen was one that said SLUG ME on a VW bug lol. I took a pic of it.
http://talkinshitwithshannieandboo.blogspot.com/ BooKat

I hate cardigans…
DangerousKindOfSnark

I already established you were an asshole a long time ago.
JGo555

The worst part is that if you look at how they type their messages we can all find that they end up killing 2 things: HUMANS AND GRAMMAR.
CT

I hate clowns – close, so close.
http://twitter.com/vab423 Vicki B.

The other day I was behind a guy who was sitting in the right turn lane waiting for it to turn green before he went. I’m behind him making WTF GO ALREADY gestures. He, in turn, was making THE LIGHT’S RED gestures at me and I finally got fed up and started making IT’S NOT ILLEGAL TO MAKE RIGHT TURNS ON RED YOU STUPID EFFING MORON gestures back. Luckily the light turned green before I resorted to flipping him off or physical harm.
CT

Do tell, what are ” IT’S NOT ILLEGAL TO MAKE RIGHT TURNS ON RED YOU STUPID EFFING MORON” signals. I may need to use them in the future.
Chinchillazilla

In an episode of Dexter, a killer gets a little boy because his name is under his figure on their van. They’ve always given me the creeps since then.
DangerousKindOfSnark

Heh, that’s funny.
EveryVillainIsLemons

An upraised middle finger?
Eliza Berntsen

He should have been banned from driving for life. And a year is not enough. In my opinion, anyone, who is found to be driving whilst talking/ texting on the phone, should be banned from driving for life.
DangerousKindOfSnark

I don’t know CT, I’m kinda digging Insane Riot Clowns. That’s my ICP cover band. Except we don’t paint our face, drink inferior soda, and we don’t rap.
EveryVillainIsLemons

He should have gotten a longer sentence, in my opinion. Not only did he text while driving (and police had the phone records to prove it), he LIED about what he was doing.
Eliza Berntsen

The war. That’s all they ever talk about.
Athena

This should receive every bit of outrage as it would if he had been drunk when he killed someone. If anything, it’s worse in a way, as the driver putting others at risk is doing with with his faculties entirely about him. It’s a ridiculous double-standard… one most people aren’t willing to admit they’ve had programmed into therm.
rensuchan

“Interestingly enough, it’s not even teens I see on the road causing problems by texting, but rather adults talking on them. If you cannot maintain a steady speed while talking on a mobile phone, please hang up before I lose it and ram you and your stupid ass crossover, with the stupid ass family member stickers on the back window, right into a friggin’ ditch.”

Funny, some bitch on a phone this morning drifted into my lane causing me to brake and lay on my horn like, “WTF YOU DOIN?!?!?!”

When I passed the dumbass, what did I see? A woman on her cell phone.

Angels Mom, it was on the Southfield Freeway. You surprised?
lalalandmamma

IDK. If bumper cars were going 80 miles an hour, bumping someone would send them careening out of control to a most certain death.
lalalandmamma

I am pretty sure that the two car seats give it away for us.
lalalandmamma

Is manslaughter usually just 2.5 years in jail.? I thought texting was the same as DUI killing someone.
http://talkinshitwithshannieandboo.blogspot.com/ BooKat

This case reminds for of that Justine Winters shit…who wouldn’t even
apologize for what she did, ’cause she “couldn’t remember”…She killed a
pregnant mom and her son, she was brought up to speed about that, but
still couldn’t own up to it and offer a simple “sorry”. Yeah, her case isn’t identical ’cause she veered her car into oncoming traffic on purpose after texting she wanted to kill herself and what this kid did was just stupid and doing something he knew not to do while driving….but kinda the same. They both end tragically and the people left alive are thoroughly fucked over by someone’s carelessness and selfishness….
JGo555

Not to my boss.
https://twitter.com/#!/AngelsMom0806 Angels Mom

It wasn’t me was it? Wait, I didn’t take the Southfield this morning.

No I’m not surprised at all, the SF and Lodge are horrible. They act like it the autobahn.
Ken A.

A YEAR?! God… In 1981 I got six months for breaking a few windows.
Gee

I like that they took his license away for 15 years. Talk about maturing before his drives again. That is a good amount of time to think about the driving privileges and that they are just that a privilege. Teenagers and cell phone are truly a deadly mix while driving. Some adults too
sweekymom

I dunno. I can’t honestly say that a year in jail for killing someone and leaving another person ruined is all that fair. He’ll have a rough time in jail, but in the end, he’ll walk out in a few months and get on with his life.

But the man he killed will still be in the ground, still missed by his family, robbed of the remainder of what would have been his natural life. The woman he injured will still be unable to work, probably trying to make do on disability, and trying to cope with a lifetime of pain without becoming a drug addict.

He’ll get on with his life, the damage he caused will soon vanish in the rear view mirror. But the people he harmed will deal with it on a daily basis for years. Something like this happened to a dear friend of mine and it ruined his life. The drunk driver served 18 months and moved on. My friend is a physical wreck, in constant pain, and subsisting on disability. To me, this is not justice, not even close. There has to be a better way to cope with the damage these people cause. I’d start by requiring support payments to the injured, and treat the obligation the same as child support. You don’t pay, you go (back) to jail.
The_Yeti_Knows

Mine says —- HHAB —” Her head’s a bobbin ” the bumper sticker reads … ” forgive my erratic driving , cone in progress “
The_Yeti_Knows

Blub for govna
blubberdong

Thanks for your endorsement, Yeti. As your new govna, I promise to develop legislation aimed at keeping people from finger-fucking their cell phones on the road…then I’m gonna bag me some sexy interns.
The_Yeti_Knows

Damn , Bill Clinton your hero too?, because Lewinsky was butt ugly .. the cigar trick was hilarious though…..
http://profile.yahoo.com/7AAJ2TEEBCD2XMZ3YP4YGJ4GPE this is what i wear on vacatio

The best yet so far that I head of..My nephew was coming home drunk texting and smoking at the same time while riding a scooter because he’d had too many DWI’s and lost his license.
http://profile.yahoo.com/7AAJ2TEEBCD2XMZ3YP4YGJ4GPE this is what i wear on vacatio

There needs to be a lol button. I laughed at ICP. BTW I like ICP’s version of Let’s Go All The Way.
http://profile.yahoo.com/7AAJ2TEEBCD2XMZ3YP4YGJ4GPE this is what i wear on vacatio

*heard not head. I’m on my third beer and on pain meds, forgive me I rely on the squiggly red line to fix my mistakes.
lespacino

They also have a zombie family version.
Athena

The average sentence for vehicular manslaughter in my state is about 4 years.
EveryVillainIsLemons

Darn.
onlyme356

I was on the freeway the other day and there was a lot of traffic. Finally I reached a sign warning drivers about texting while drving and stating that it wasn’t worth the fine. Of course I olok over and see a dumb ass teenager taking a photo of it with their cell phone. I wished I was plastic man so I could reach through and crush the phone and then give them a solid slap across the face.
LadyLeopard

I hate to say it, but if he’ll lie about texting and causing the accident, what makes you think he’ll worry about driving without a license? He’s already proved he’s a selfish dick.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XKMAEMPVJ5T2Y35HKYTNG7I6SY Cedric

I’m sorry this kid did something stupid and killed someone,but I do not support stupid new laws either.
What next a law for people driving and putting on make up ? Eating while driving ? Parking on active railroad tracks and eating,with fogged up windows,and blaring music ?
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XKMAEMPVJ5T2Y35HKYTNG7I6SY Cedric

How do you know for a fact they were texting ? Maybe they were placing a call … just attempting to play Devil’s Advocate.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XKMAEMPVJ5T2Y35HKYTNG7I6SY Cedric

I can hear her now : “Yea Doris,the stupid Bitch is still tailgating me … I know – all these younger people are so rude these days … what was that ? ”

(lol).
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XKMAEMPVJ5T2Y35HKYTNG7I6SY Cedric

Damn it – I possibly should start reading down before I post anything newstarshipsmell you beat me to it.Although I’m just having fun with Dangerous – ’cause those old people be getting on my last nerve too.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XKMAEMPVJ5T2Y35HKYTNG7I6SY Cedric

I think that was the whole point – well that and not causing damage to your own car when you hit them.
DangerousKindOfSnark

Possible, they are all causes of distracted driving. The issue is making sure that the road and the task at hand is your number one priority, clearly if you are texting that is not the case. People, for whatever reason, are not good multitaskers, http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/a/costs-of-multitasking.htm. It takes a few seconds to switch your brain from the road to the radio station and back again. Those few seconds are when accidents happen.
Chances are that if you are involved in a vehicular homicide and they can prove you were looking at the radio or pulling pickles off your drive through your going to take the fault and be punished as well. There are other laws that are just as disruptive as a DUI, such as careless operation.

http://www.gjel.com/blog/the-top-5-causes-of-distracted-driving.html
Gee

I don’t actually think he will adhere but at least if he gets caught there will be repercussions.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XKMAEMPVJ5T2Y35HKYTNG7I6SY Cedric

Well ok … I guess … long as they don’t make it illegal to get a blow job while driving … I guess I’m good to go.
Abroad

Ever read the World According to Garp?
Iris_Wildthyme

There’s a guy at work who I know texts while he’s driving, if I see him doing it again his phone is going in the paper shredder. >:-)
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1489869015 Lance Larkin

This guy doesn’t need that jail time, he needs to have his drivers license/cell phone plan revoked IMMEDIATELY. Stupid people are dangerous, for sure…
http://www.facebook.com/betty.priestgustafson Betty Priest-Gustafson

I”M WITH U DEMON, WHOEVER INVENTED TEXING SHOULD HAVE A PHONE SHOVED UP HIS ASS SIDEWAYS