Shocking photos illustrate ‘consequence of checking a cell phone,’ Wisconsin cops say

A police department in Wisconsin hopes these crash photos will serve as a harrowing reminder to keep your eyes on the road when driving.

Menomonee Falls police posted several photos to Twitter Friday of a car that had been impaled by guard rail.

The cause? Distracted driving, police said.

“This is a consequence of checking a cell phone while driving,” officials wrote on Twitter.

Miraculously, the driver survived and only sustained minor injuries, police said.

The rail skewered the car from the front windshield through the back windshield, bisecting the vehicle between the driver and passenger seats. Photos show damage to the equipment under the hood of the car. The back seat also appears to have been dislodged.

Police hope the shocking photos will serve as a warning.

“Distracted driving can end lives,” officials wrote. “Please focus on the road and drive safely.”

In 2018, nearly 3,000 people in the U.S. were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration.

Menomonee Falls is just northwest of Milwaukee.

This story was originally published December 6, 2020 at 8:25 AM with the headline "Shocking photos illustrate ‘consequence of checking a cell phone,’ Wisconsin cops say."