I’ve officially lost faith in humanity. Christal McGee, a teenager from Georgia, is blaming her near fatal car accident on her Snapchat speed filter, claiming that the social media platform “encouraged” her to take a photo while going 107 miles per hour.
Just… stop. This is why you stay in school.
Last September McGee crashed her car along Tara Boulevard in southern Clayton County. She injured herself, three passengers, and permanently injured the driver of the car she crashed into. Passenger Heather McCarty says the teenager had her phone in her hand moments before the crashed into the other car.
“I’m like, ‘What are you doing? Slow down!” McCarty told WSB-TV Atlanta. “I asked her, ‘Did that keep up with the speed of the car?’ And she said, ‘Yeah.’ She was trying to hit 100 miles an hour and post it on Snapchat.”
So instead of suing Cristal and her family, Wentworth Maynard, the other driver, is suing Snapchat. The 55-year-old man was in a coma after the accident and spent five weeks in intensive care. He also suffered a permanent brain injury and needs constant care from his wife.
According to the news affiliate, passenger Heather McCarty will testify as a witness in the lawsuit.
McCarty plans to be a witness in a lawsuit the Maynard family recently filed against Snapchat, saying it encourages drivers to use that speedometer filter, by offering points and trophies.
The suit also names McGee, who could not be reached for comment.
Snapchat sent Channel 2 a written statement saying: “No Snap is more important than someone’s safety. We actively discourage our community from using the speed filter while driving, including by displaying a “Do NOT Snap and Drive” warning message in the app itself.”
The statement continues, “The complaint filed in this case is not factually accurate. Among other things, Snapchat has never offered in-app trophies or additional points for using the speed filter.”
Am I the only person who thinks this is completely insane? Blaming Snapchat over a car accident? The girl was going over 107mph… she should not have a license nor a phone. Nor the option to use the social media platform as a copout for her poor decision making skills.
Am I wrong? Tell me what you think in the comments below.
