Legs crushed in texting/driving accident

LAKELAND - Manny Mejia had dreams of becoming a professional boxer, but at just 20 years old that's no longer possible. Three months ago while dumping a can of trash into his garbage truck, Mejia was hit by a car.

"My legs just got taken off right there and I remember rolling off the hood of the car into the driveway on the side of the road and I looked down and both of my legs were like crushed. They were already amputated right there," explained Mejia

Police say the driver of the car, Stephen Horne told them he was texting while driving. He faces the possibility of five years in prison for reckless driving. But some think more needs to be done.

This week, Governor Charlie Crist said he wants the state legislature to take up the issue in the new year.

"It's important that we do everything we can to make sure our fellow Floridians are safe and you know we've seen over and over again these videos of people whether they're on a train or somewhere else, that have been texting while driving and the obvious danger of it is absurd," according to Governor Crist.

Thirteen bills have already been filed this year in Florida that would regulate texting or using cell phones while driving. One of those is Heather's Law.

Pictures from the scene of the accident that inspired Heather's Law are devastating. Heather Hurd was 27 years old, and on her way to meet her parents at her wedding planner's office in Eastern Polk County last year.

Officials say before she could get there, a semi truck slammed into the back of Hurd's car. Police say the driver had been texting.

Despite the dangers of texting and driving, a recent poll shows one in four Americans does it anyway. Fourteen states and The District of Columbia have outlawed the habit. Florida is not yet one of them, something Mejia hopes might change this year.

"Nobody else should be in my position in my place where I'm at now," added Mejia.

Similar legislation filed in 2008, Senate Bill 266 regarding cellular telephone use in a motor vehicle, died in committee. Though a recent poll conducted by The Ford Motor Co. shows that the majority of Americans would be in favor of national ban on texting and driving.