A report from Alberta’s Workplace Health and Safety confirms the death of Sefatullah Khanzadeh, a young landscaper working for the city of Edmonton, was caused by a distracted driver who never seemed to realize she had hit him.

The landscaper was working on a clear and sunny day on July 24 when a Honda Civic crashed into him.   According to witnesses, the young man was clearly visible.  Some said the woman was holding a cell phone and seemed to be texting before getting out of her car.

“The driver did not even know that she had crushed a landscape worker. There were no visible skid marks from the passenger vehicle. “This indicated that the driver did not attempt to stop before the crash.”

Alberta does not have legislation yet against texting and driving.  Questioned on the issue, Alberta Transportation Department spokesman Paul Oss said its government was considering putting up a legislation that would ban all forms of distracted driving.

“We don’t have a specific time frame, but it is something we’d like to do in the future,” said Oss.

The report said it is hoping it will “alert drivers to the dangers and consequences of using cellphones and texting while driving.”

The 22 year-old driver involved in the crash was charged with careless driving and is waiting for her trial.

Source: Edmonton Journal, February 24, 2010

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