Imagine this: You open the door and climb into your car. Key in ignition, it starts up. You check your mirrors as you reach for your gear shift. Before you can put the car in drive, you hear the familiar sound of your phone buzzing. While still in park, you check your phone, and it's a text message from your friend saying that she needed to talk. Curious and a bit concerned by her ambiguity, you attempt to call her. She doesn't answer. You text her, asking if something is wrong. After setting your phone down next to you, you proceed to shift the car from park to drive and take off.

It's an ordinary day. The sun is shining and the roads are mostly empty as you make your way to your destination. Just as you pull onto the main road, you hear that same familiar buzzing sound. You know it must be your friend, texting you back with the clarification you were looking for. You want to make sure she's alright, and you are eager to read her response. You know you shouldn't be texting while at the wheel, but the anticipation of your friend's text is eating away at you. So you decide, just this once, you'll take the risk. You pick up your phone while driving 45 miles per hour towards your destination. You carefully flip your eyes back and forth between the screen and the road as you attempt to unlock your phone. You finally open your friend's text, but you don't read it.

Instead, you hit something. What was it? An trash can? A sign? Surely not another car. Your windshield is shattered. Your heartbeat picks up speed. You slam the brakes. Was it an animal? Your eyes widen in horror of the possibilities. How will you explain to the police what happened? Will the town make you pay for whatever it is you hit? You throw the car into park. Who saw it happen? How will you ever be able to pay for this damage?

You step out of the car and hear the scream of a nearby pedestrian. Your heart stops. Your legs stiffen. You can't breathe. You walk around your damaged car. You go numb, because your body knows what it is that you are about to see before you do.

And then you see her.

You don't know her name. You don't know her story. You don't know who she is or where she came from or where she was going or why she was crossing the street. All you know is that you are responsible for putting an innocent pedestrian on the ground, with people running from all directions to try and help her. You feel your heart beat as the world spins around you. You hear yourself screaming "I didn't see her!" and "I'm so sorry!" and "It was an accident!" but no one looks in your direction.

You hear sirens. An ambulance arrives. They attempt to perform CPR, but you know it's no use.

The pedestrian is gone.

Suddenly, your whole life changes. You are facing innumerable amounts of court dates. You have severe charges, including jail time. You have to apologize for the death of a girl who died too soon, to a family that will never fully get over her loss. And, even if the charges eventually disappear, you will be completely transformed from the guilt and the heartache that you have brought upon yourself.

All for a message that simply stated "I'll call you later."

Distracted driving is dangerous, and not just for the driver. This is one scenario of many that have occurred as a result of distracted driving, whether the driver was texting, eating, putting on makeup, googling something, talking on the phone, being distracted by other people or animals in the car, or even just simply looking out the window and zoning out. Please keep in mind that every time you get behind the wheel, you are essentially activating a potential weapon. Distracted Driving Awareness Month should not be the only time that we are aware of the dangers of distracted driving. Always be alert and aware while driving. You may think that it could never happen to you, but it has just as good of a chance of occurring to any one of us if we drive distracted.

Distracted driving could make this story a reality for you. Is this scenario something you see in your future? Don't let this happen to you. Stop distracted driving.