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Snapchat “Speed Filter” Blamed For Teen’s 107 MPH Crash

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A popular social media app called Snapchat is being blamed in a lawsuit for tempting a teen to drive well over a hundred miles per hour — causing a crash that left another motorist with traumatic brain injuries.

Lawsuit: Teen Distracted By Snapchat Speed Filter During Crash

The Snapchat app has a filter that allows users to add their current speed to their selfies and rewards them with a virtual trophy for posting their speed.

The crash happened on September 10 around 11 p.m. on a four lane highway outside of Atlanta. According to the suit, Wentworth Maynard was merging onto the highway when he was hit so hard by another vehicle that it sent his car flying across all four lanes before it crashed into an embankment.

Maynard was hit by 18 year old Christal McGee, who was driving coworkers home from a shift at a restaurant. She was allegedly trying to push her Mercedes-Benz to over 100 m.p.h. so that she could use the Snapchat filter to take a selfie while going fast.

Teen Reportedly Doubled Speed Limit

One of the other passengers in the vehicle reported that McGee hit a top speed of 113 m.p.h. She was driving at 107 m.p.h. when she struck Maynard’s car, according to the lawsuit. The speed limit on the highway was 55 m.p.h.

Maynard’s lawyers say that McGee continued to use Snapchat even after the crash, posting a bloody selfie with the caption “Lucky to be alive.” She and her passengers managed to escape the crash with minor injuries.

Maynard, on the other hand, says that he was in intensive care for five weeks with a severe brain injury. He claims that he has lost 50 pounds, can’t work, and needs a walker or wheelchair to get around.

Maynard is suing both McGee and Snapchat; McGee for distracted driving and the Snapchat app for product liability.

Snapchat says their product contains a warning message discouraging users from driving while using the app.

Sources:
USA Today
The Guardian
Fox 59
11 Alive
WNCN

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