The following is a text message sent by Chance Bothe, a 21-year-old man who almost lost his life in a car accident. “I need to quit texting, because I could die in a car accident.” The text was written by Bothe and then sent just moments before his vehicle fell off of a bridge in Texas and landed in a ravine. Bothe survived the ordeal even though he suffered brain injuries and broke almost all the bones in his body. He broke his neck, his cheekbones and his skull. It was also reported that Bothe had to be revived three times.
Bothe was released from the hospital on Wednesday after being there for six months. While in the hospital he needed multiple reconstructive surgeries and rehabilitation. Bothe had to learn how to speak once again. The accident occurred on January 24 but this is the first time Bothe has been able to discuss it.
“Don’t do it. It’s not worth losing your life,” Bothe said about texting while driving. “I went to my grandmother’s funeral not long ago, and I kept thinking, it kept jumping into my head, I’m surprised that’s not me up in that casket. I came very close to that, to being gone forever.”
Bothe’s father said, “If I had a kid 16 years old starting to drive, they could have a phone but the texting feature wouldn’t be on it.”
Bothe has said that he is still alive today so he can spread the message that he learned first-hand. “I still have things to do in this world. I should tell everyone not to text message and drive.”
