A 22-year-old driver near Lakeland learned the hard way that some chores belong in the bathroom, not the driver’s seat. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, he was applying deodorant while navigating a curve on State Road 570 around 7 a.m. Monday when his GMC pickup struck a crash barrier and came to rest on top of a concrete barrier wall. Remarkably, he was not injured, and no other vehicles were involved.
It’s the kind of story that makes you laugh and then quietly check your own habits. Distracted driving usually brings texting or phone calls to mind, but the reality is anything that pulls your eyes and hands away from the wheel counts. On a Gulf Coast morning, with commuters heading toward Tampa or over to the beaches, those few seconds matter more than we like to admit.
So here’s your friendly nudge from all of us at the station: finish the morning routine at home, and let the road have your full attention. The deodorant will still be there when you park, and the concrete wall will be a lot less interested in you. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen another driver doing on the road? Let us know on our Facebook page.
