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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Blogs Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Multimedia Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Road Cams Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend March 9, 2007 In the event of an accident, quick, reach for your cell phone Student's instincts take over after he hits tree By anita burke Mail Tribune Seventeen-year-old Travis Huskey routinely snaps pictures with his cell phone and sends text messages to stay in touch with friends, so when he crashed his Jeep into a tree on the way to school Thursday, he instinctively reached for his phone. He notified his dad and his girlfriend of the accident, then took some pictures of his battered face while he waited for emergency crews. The senior at Cascade Christian High School sent the photos to friends and news of the crash swept through the halls before Travis' dad, Ron Huskey, could call the school to tell his wife, who works in the office, about their son's crash. "Just from texting, it got around school," said Travis, who added that since he first got a cell phone for Christmas in 2005, he's used it daily. He pays for his own plan to include lots of text messages, something his parents don't use, Ron Huskey said. Travis said he had just left home on Dark Hollow Road on his way to school at around 8 a.m. Thursday when he heard a curious noise in the back of his 1994 Jeep Wrangler. His attention momentarily diverted as he turned his head to investigate the sound made by his skateboards rolling around the rear of the Jeep, he missed a curve in the road and careened into a massive oak tree. Ron Huskey raced to where his son sat stunned and bleeding in the totaled Jeep. Advertisement "I was there in minutes," Huskey said. "I called 9-1-1 on the way. I guess he was too busy taking pictures." Jackson County Fire District No. 5 responded and Travis was taken to Providence Medford Medical Center. Doctors determined that Travis, who was wearing a seatbelt, didn't have any serious internal injuries, only a swollen nose and deep cuts on his chin, lips and inside his mouth that required 50 stitches. Travis sent a few text updates to friends from the hospital to let them know he was OK, but by the time he was released late Thursday morning, he had a long list of missed messages, he said. Fellow Cascade senior Stephanie Rotarius, 17, is one of Travis' close friends who got a message from the crash scene. She had just sent him a text message about having a good day because she had heard a song she liked on the radio when he replied that he was having a bad day and had just been in a wreck. "I thought he was joking at first," she said. Stephanie was relieved to get a text later from Travis at the hospital reassuring her that he was fine. She said they talk a lot and use text messages to stay connected when they are apart. "If I were in an accident or something like that, I would definitely text somebody," she said. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Trunks, Footlocker Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Cord Blood Banking Discount Hotel Reservations Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing Debt Help New Hampshire Primary