It Was The Phone That Killed Cali Teen!

A teen who was a star soccer player at her junior high school was killed by a freight train. Jenna Betti went to retrieved her phone and mistaken the train distance. She was struck and killed. This is one of the selfie photos Jenna took with her heartbroken mother.

We're in the digital age.

About 90% of American citizens own and operate a phone. The land line phone is on the decline and most Americans are now getting all their needs through their phone.

And with the phone comes the responsibility. Smartphone theft is on the rise and people are losing their lives over this. The companies and software developers are working to prevent this from happening. They are creating freeware and anti-theft tools to keep track of a stolen phone.

States are passing stricter laws that fine, vehicle operators who are on the road while on the phone.

I admit that I often do a lot of texting on the phone while operating a vehicle. That is extremely dangerous.

Many Americans lost their lives on the highways because of a five second text or a phone conversation.

You don't get an opportunity to avoid a hazard when you're arguing with a friend or family member.

You crash into a vehicle. Either you kill someone or you're the one!

We all must use common sense when using a cellphone!

A 14-year old girl paid the price for her phone. She lost her life when a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway train struck and killed her in California.

Jenna Betti from Martinez was trespassing on the railroad tracks with her boyfriend. Upon hearing a freight train approaching, they first moved off the tracks. But somehow, Betti dropped her phone. She went to retrieve her phone and got caught off guard by the speed of the train. The train struck her and killed her upon impact.

The girl and her boyfriend didn't use common sense when they walked on the tracks. Then of course, instead of moving off the tracks, the young teen decided that the phone was more important than her life.

Jenna's mother Denna posted on the social networks about her daughter's death. Denna wrote, "She didn't judge the approach, and the train creates a vacuum, we were told, and it sucks you in."

"Thank you for all your love, support and prayers during this very difficult time," her mother wrote. "Why they made such a horrible decision we'll never know."

It's probably safer to watch a train approach from a distance.

It is extremely dangerous for anyone to walk on railroad tracks. No matter what the situation, a train can come and you wouldn't even know it. Many people paid the price for trespassing on the tracks.

It's a class A misdemeanor for anyone caught on the railroad tracks. The individual could be arrested for trespassing or impeding on the right-of-way of transit.

It's a CLASS THREE FELONY if you're caught putting something on the tracks to derail or impede on the transit of a train. You can go to the iron college if you put something on the tracks and cause a train to derail.

If you're stuck on the tracks call the police or the rail company to inform the operator of the train.

A train can't stop like a car and semi-truck. It could take up to a full mile to come to a complete stop.

We here at Journal de la Reyna send our condolences to the family of Jenna Betti.