False email claim spreads rumor of teen driving injuries at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital

    Teens, texting and driving are buzzwords in many conversations and pieces of legislation, but they’re not quite as prominent in Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital as a false email claim makes them out to be.

    Despite the hospital having put out a statement in September, the rumor continues to spread that the facility is filled with teens who’ve suffered brain injuries from texting while driving.

    Malvern Patch posted a portion of the email recently circulated, which claims 16 of the hospital’s 94 beds are occupied by teens who suffered brain trauma in crashes caused by texting at the wheel.

     

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    “The inpatient population at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital does not include a significant number of people who have been in motor vehicle accidents as a result of distracted driving. We do not have a significant number of patients in the age range of 16-19, male or female,” reads the September statement from Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital.

    Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett, by the way, has signed into law the state ban against texting while driving, making it a primary offense.

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal