April Fools’ Day Gone Wrong
3 PRANKS THAT SEVERELY BACKFIRED April 1, aka April Fools’ Day, is when people love to pull pranks on one another. But if they’re not careful, pranks can end with a court case or jail time. Let’s take a look at a few April Fools’ pranks that have brutally backfired. NAVISTAR PLANT SHUTDOWN In April 2021, Pamela Sisco texted her sister about an active shooter at Navistar Plant in Clark County. Her sister was frightened, and she called the authorities to let them know about the situation. The plant shut down after hearing about the incident because they thought it was a real threat. When officers were at the scene, they charged Sisco with inducing panic and disrupting public services. This is a fifth-degree felony in Ohio, and she was sentenced to a year in prison. RADIO CONTEST GONE WRONG KBDS (103.9 FM) is a radio station in California that held a contest in 2005. They told their listeners they could win a new Hummer if they tracked the number of miles of two Hummers as they drove around town. Shannan Castillo won the contest, and when she went to pick up her brand-new car, the DJ came out with a remote control toy car. They then went on air and laughed about how they fooled everyone.
Castillo hired an attorney and sued the radio station for $60,000 — the cost of a new Hummer. PRACTICAL JOKE AT WORK CREATES A LAW Glenn Howlett was a services manager at London City Hall in London,
Ontario, Canada. In 2004, he decided to take a vacation to relax and not think about work. His colleagues decided to tell him that a major project he was working on was due earlier than Howlett expected. So, he made his vacation short and decided to return to work to finish his project. He became so stressed out that he began having heart palpitations and collapsed. Afterward, he sued his now former employer for damages. As a result, the city passed a law prohibiting practical jokes within workplaces. As you plan your pranks for April Fools’ Day, remember not to go too far with your jokes. Make them lighthearted and fun so everyone can laugh about them in the future.
Keep Your Eyes on the Road 5 WAYS TO AVOID DISTRACTED DRIVING
Every day, roughly eight people are killed in crashes involving a distracted driver. To keep your loved ones safe and avoid distractions on the road, take these five precautions. 1. Do a car check before you drive. When you slide into the driver’s seat, ask yourself these questions: Are my mirrors in place? Is the radio on the station I want? Is the heater/AC adjusted? Do I have my GPS set? Taking care of these things before driving will minimize the number of times you look away from the road. 2. Put away your cellphone. Here in Georgia, that isn’t just a recommendation — it’s the law. Our state passed the Hands-Free Georgia Act in 2018 and it’s still alive and well today. Under the act, you can’t hold a cellphone or other electronic device while driving. That means no calling or texting unless you can do so hands-free. (Even then, we’d recommend against it.) 3. Avoid snacking or drinking on the go. If you can, try to eat before leaving home, and enjoy your thermos of coffee after you’ve arrived at your destination. Snacks and drinks
draw your eyes away from the road, and you may miss important traffic signals.
4. Strap in your pets and kids. There’s nothing more distracting than a toddler crawling loose in the back seat or a dog licking your ear! To avoid both, make sure your kids are buckled into proper boosters or car seats and your pets are secured in carriers or harnesses. Reaching behind you or turning around can make you lose control of your car. 5. Don’t drive when your emotions are running high. One popular way to diffuse an emotional situation is to leave the house and go for a drive. But if your mind is focused on an argument, you won’t be giving the road your full attention. Instead of driving with shaky hands and buzzing brain, try sitting in the parked car while you cool off. If someone you love is injured in a car crash despite taking these precautions, they can always schedule a free consultation with the Kevin Patrick Law team. Please share our website ( PatrickTrialLaw.com ) and phone number ( 404-566-5880 ), and we’ll help them just like we helped you.
You can always reach Kevin directly at 404.566.8964 or Kevin@PatrickTrialLaw.com. (If you ever need it, his cellphone is 404.409.3160.)
2 • KEVINPATRICK.LAW I 404.566.5880
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