Kayla Preuss

Sixteen-year-old Kayla Preuss of Highland, California died on May 24, 2008, when she lost control of her car and crashed into a median. Authorities say that Kayla had been driving drunk and speeding. On August 16, 2008, the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reported that Kayla's cell phone was found open on the floorboard by her feet. Phone records showed that she had been texting just before the accident.¹

Fast Facts

1. Had a blood alcohol level of 0.15, which is 15 times greater than the legal driving limit of someone underage¹
2. Reported by witnesses to be driving about 90 miles per hour¹
3. Sent about 40 text messages in three hours, including one moments before crash¹
4. Died 38 days before enforcement of California law prohibiting minors from using cell phones while driving¹
5. Law would not have affected texting while driving¹
6. Police say not enough evidence to determine whether texting was a factor in the crash¹

Quotes

"I hope it makes a lot of kids think. I don't know how many times I had told Kayla not to text when she was driving." — Kayla's mother, Kelly Preuss¹

"There have been some of her friends who have gotten into accidents from texting, right after (Kayla's death)." — Kelly Preuss¹

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