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A teenage driver in Anoka County caused a crash last weekend by watching the television show Stranger Things while driving, according to Bring Me The News.
The teen's vehicle veered "fully in the oncoming lane" while a semi-truck was traveling in the opposite direction, according to a release from Anoka County Sheriff's Office. The semi-truck driver swerved into the shoulder to avoid a collision, but the semi's trailer still hit the teen's vehicle, causing her to roll multiple times. However, the teen only suffered minor injuries, and the move likely saved her life.
"The female driver denied being on her cell phone before the crash, but the investigating deputies observed that her vehicle’s Bluetooth system was still streaming the audio to 'Stranger Things' on Netflix," the Sheriff's Office said (via Bring Me The News). "When confronted with this information, the driver admitted to watching Netflix while driving."
The Anoka County Sheriff's Office hopes sharing this story will warn others against distracted driving. They also noted that more than 39,000 crashes statewide between 2016 and 2020 were caused by distracted driving. 155 of those were fatal.
"We continue to encourage parents to talk with their teen drivers about the dangers of distracted driving," the Sheriff's Office said (via Bring Me The News). "The consequences can be far-reaching and tragic."