A teenage boy is lucky to be alive after crashing through a fence while sending a text message while driving Tuesday afternoon in Aberdeen, Washington.

According to Washington State Police, 18-year-old Dale McCauley was traveling down the road, attempting to compose a text message when he went off the road and slammed into a horse fence, where a fence post crashed directly through the front windscreen, narrowly missing his head.

“The post nearly took his head off,” said Trooper Russ Winger. The 1 by 4 piece of wood pierced through the windscreen at a slight angle, allowing for the board to pass by just inches away.

Witnesses to the accident also reported that McCauley had been driving erratically before the crash, cutting off multiple drivers and making a dangerous U-turn that nearly caused another accident.

Fortunately for the teen, he only suffered minor cuts to his face from the shattered glass of the windscreen and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Distracted driving is quickly becoming one of the most frequent causes in automobile accidents across the country, and cell phones are the single biggest problem.

Today’s drivers are spending more and more time focused on their phones, on sending emails, browsing the internet, and using smartphone apps, instead of focusing on the road ahead.

The results of this lack of focus can be extremely dangerous both for drivers themselves and everyone else on the road around them (and horse fences, apparently).

The task of driving is always the most important thing to focus on while behind the wheel of an automobile. It may seem like a harmless thing to glance down at your phone for a few brief moments, but that can be all the time needed to find yourself in a dangerous and potentially fatal accident situation.

If you or someone you know has been in an accident as a result of distracted driving, you should seek out help. We at AA Accident Attorneys can help you recover compensation from those at fault in your accident to help you cover any damages you may have incurred. Our team of experienced legal professionals can confidently fight for what you deserve and accurately represent all of your concerns.

You need an accident lawyer who is well-versed in all of California’s complicated state laws, and who can successful navigate you through the legal process. We will work hard to represent you both as legal professionals and as citizens who share the same roads and live in the same communities. We do not charge a thing for our services until your case is won. Call us today for your free evaluation to learn what options are available to you!