Texting Teen Tumbles Down Manhole
In a development that's almost too silly to be true, a New York City teenage girl evidently fell down an open manhole as she walked down the street, distracted because she was...texting. MyFOX NY reports Alexa Longueira was strolling down a Staten Island sidewalk and was fiddling with her phone, preparing to send a text, when she disappeared down an open sewer access duct.
Longueira is said to have suffered mild cuts and bruises, but she should be just fine. Workers told the girl's mother they left the manhole open and unattended for mere seconds as they went to grab some pylons from their trucks. The Department of Environmental Protection announced an investigation.
Mercedes Padilla, of the DEP, was quoted as saying: "DEP is conducting a full investigation of what happened during a manhole incident on Victory Boulevard where workers were flushing a high-pressure sewer on Wednesday evening. We regret that this happened and wish the young woman a speedy recovery."
In an astonishing (not) twist, the family plans to sue. Apparently it doesn't matter that the girl was texting and not paying attention to her surroundings; the dangerous duct should have been covered.
The moral of the story? Look where you're going, dummy!
