"Merry Christmas" was texted

It was Christmas day 2013 at 3:57 pm when Alex Hooper thought it a good idea to text "Merry Christmas"  or maybe it wasn't thinking.  He was driving through Wadesboro, NC when he typed the words into his phone.  I don't know if he ever got to hit "send" or not but he did drift across the divider line on the road and hit another car head-on.  The collision seriously injured the two occupants of the other car, himself and his wife, Kelsey. 
   There was one other occupant of the Hooper vehicle.  Alex and Kelsey had a daughter, just thirteen months old.  She didn't survive. 
  Alex was charged yesterday with texting while driving and failure to maintain his lane. 
  I didn't know Alex or Kelsey but I did know Kelsey's mother:  she was my niece.  Kelsey's grandfather  is my older brother. 

   I passed people on the highway and glanced over and it looked as if the car had no driver.  As it turns out, it really doesn't because while the driver is typing his text no one is really in control of the car.  So many times I wanted to admonish the driver for his inattention but one can't.  Even if I were able it would only made the driver angry.  Tragedy, after all, only happens to the other person.