[Matthew] Broderick met actress Jennifer Grey on the set of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. On August 5, 1987, she was with him as he drove on a rain-soaked road on the outskirts of Enniskillen in Northern Ireland. Broderick drove his rented BMW 316 head-on into another car carrying 63-year-old Margaret Doherty and her 30-year-old daughter Anna Gallagher; both women were killed. Broderick had to be cut out of the car; he suffered facial lacerations and a broken thigh. Grey escaped with minor injuries. Broderick had no memory of the event, whilst Grey was distracted at the moment of the accident in the process of changing audio tapes and also remembered seeing nothing. The lack of witnesses, skid marks or other evidence led Broderick to plead guilty in absentia on February 15, 1988 to the lesser charge of careless driving. He was fined £100.
I know the source is Wikipedia, but I remember reading about this back in the early 90s as well.
I recall that also. The paragraph you posted is significant. While cell phones are currently being targeted, there are many things people do in cars that distract them; eating, smoking, changing CD's, fumbling for keys, looking at maps, and on and on...
I remember that Matthew Broderick story...he hosted SNL later that year and the musical guest was Finland's Sugarcubes. They had a minor hit in the states with "Motorcrash".
there was some talk before the show that they had been told to perform something else, but IIRC, they indeed do the song
Yeah, I remember it too. Broderick was driving on the wrong side of the road. He had forgotten that in Ireland they drive on the left side, just like in Great Britain.
He must had a Ferris Bueller effect to get off with such a light punshment.
I generally don't support vehicular manslaughter charges unless it can be proven someone actually did something to cause the accident.
An icy road, or blind spot, etc. is NOT sufficient. Talking on a cell phone, or whatever, is.