by Matt Richtel
Among the things I learned was how widespread the potential had become for distraction. In one story, I explored how doctors are getting distracted, a story that included one of the most harrowing anecdotes I’d heard about in all my reporting on a subject: A neurosurgeon in Denver was accused of making personal calls during surgery and, owing to distraction, left the patient partially paralyzed. It was a particularly horrific outcome but not a totally singular example of electronic distraction among doctors, nurses, and key medical technicians.
A medical journal called Perfusion, focused on cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, did a survey and found that 55 percent of technicians monitoring the bypass machines said they’d talked on their cell phones during surgery and half had texted. They did that even though about 40 percent said talking on the phone was “always an unsafe practice,” and around half said the same of texting. As I noted in my story, the study’s authors wrote: “Such distractions have the potential to be disastrous.”
ALL THAT REPORTING GAVE me a backdrop and experience to approach this book. But it was only that: backdrop. This book was, except for a handful of instances where I quoted previous articles, reported entirely from scratch.
The reporting for this book consisted of: extensive phone and in-person interviews with dozens of people; police and law enforcement reports; historical documents, some first-source and some accounts collected by reputable sources, like museums; use of audio and video recordings and of transcripts from law enforcement interviews and of court proceedings. In particular, these transcripts and recordings were used to reconstruct witness interviews, court hearings, and legislative proceedings. Quotations were taken directly from the recordings or transcripts. Without exception, I tried to stay completely true to the spirit of the event. So, too, with the letter; only in rare cases did I change a word or use ellipses to try to avoid confusion. I summarized sections that were redundant or ancillary.
Other crucial documentation included handwritten notes and personal records made at the time of the events from participants, including Gaylyn White, Reggie’s therapist, and Jon Bunderson, Reggie’s lawyer. I was allowed access to these records only because Reggie gave his permission to allow them to be shared with me, or turned over.
Another key allowance was made me by the court and Judge Willmore. He unsealed the record of this case, which had been previously sealed. Reggie also acceded to this. It enabled me to see videotapes of key hearings, as well as read certain crucial documents. I also received both official and unofficial documentation (Terryl’s handwritten notes) from the prosecutor’s office, and provided by Terryl.
As noted, there are a handful of places in the book where I cite reporting from other media, notably the New York Times. In many cases where I made such a citation, I was relying on a story I had myself written for the paper, reflecting my own familiarity with the material. In such cases, I did not necessarily write in the book that I had written the Times article. That is simply because I did not wish to interrupt the flow of the story with an introduction of my role in the reporting.
This powerful trove of documentation, in totality, not only gave me a concrete base of reporting. It also served to reinforce and provide context and guidance for what was the most significant source of reporting: the extraordinary cooperation of the people in this book. One person after the next shared their stories, perspectives, motivations, hopes, and fears. These countless conversations, some by phone, some in-person, involved much soul-searching, sometimes tears, and laughter. In that way, this book represents a collective expression, even exhalation, of emotion that I feel very fortunate to have been able to record. Broadly, I offer my deepest thanks to everyone who saw fit to share of themselves.
Memories can obviously be unreliable, and accounts biased. To create the fairest possible account, I sought to use more than one source to document events. By way of example, when describing Reggie’s interaction with his counselor, Gaylyn, I matched his account with hers, and with the documentation from the sessions. That same principle applied to meetings among the prosecutors, or when Reggie and his family met with Bunderson. Much more often than not, the accounts of various parties were highly consistent; people might have had different perspectives of an event—say, how they felt at the crash site—but the accounts of what was said, and by whom, rarely differed or by much. There is also no substitute for getting to know people over time, which is a luxury I was afforded given that I started meeting the key people in this story in 2009 and remained in contact until the final reporting in the spring of 2014.
Some of the most powerful and personal experiences came only from a single source and, perhaps, necessarily so. For instance, Don Linton’s revelations about the sexual abuse he suffered came from him. In numerous lengthy, emotional conversations, I came to appreciate the veracity of his experiences and emotions and could find no reason for him to exaggerate. If anything, it was a risk for him to share his past. I admire his courage. That is true, too, for Tony Baird, whose tearful discussions of his childhood accident were courageous and raw, and I am indebted. Same goes for David Greenfield and his own challenges growing up. In the case of Terryl, and her childhood, I felt I needed to apply a particularly high standard because she is such a central part of the story. Much of her account of her childhood comes from her. In the spirit of the highest standards of journalism, I matched her accounts with her diary of her childhood, which she provided. I also corroborated her stories by interviewing people who were close at the time with Terryl and her family. I did not do these things because I doubted Terryl in any way. In fact, as I came to know her, I discovered someone with a sense of ethics and dedication to truth rivaling those I find among the finest journalists I have come to know. Terryl’s mother declined to be interviewed, though I obviously tried to reach out to her—through direct email, and in overtures made through Terryl and her little brother Mitchell. Mitchell, who graciously agreed to be interviewed, asked that his current situation be excluded from this story. Through Terryl, I was privy to emails written by her older brother Michael that corroborated some of the events Terryl described. In some cases, it was difficult to put together the precise dates and chronology of events from her childhood and I made my best judgment by combining the interviews with Terryl and her friends and family’s friends, with the diary accounts, and with some photographic evidence.
With one exception, which I will note a bit farther down, there can be no fiercer advocate than Terryl Warner.
I received extensive cooperation from Jackie Furfaro and Leila O’Dell. They invited me into their homes, and, even more powerfully, into their thinking and emotions. I am deeply indebted to these two proud, strong, courageous women, and to their families. They have experienced loss no person should ever experience, and they have persevered.
From the first time that I met Reggie, I was astounded at his openness. He told how he felt and what he’d done, and he told me when he couldn’t figure out what he’d done, or why, or how. Reggie was and is an open book. And even though he can be shy, he does not crave attention and would rather be doing a lot of things besides talking. His openness reflects what I can only describe as a shame and sorrow and desire to redeem himself that goes deeper than I’ve personally witnessed in any person under any circumstance. This is why he is the fiercest advocate I can imagine. He desperately wants no person to do what he has done. He has gone down on his knees and begged. But I hope he will rise up, and heal. Virtually every person I met on this journey—from his own family, of course, to Terryl, to Judge Willmore—want to see Reggie find peace. I share the same hope for Reggie.
Reggie, I hope that, in some small way, the contribution you have made to this account adds sufficiently to the portfolio of your testimony so that you can forgive yourself.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
FOREMOST, THIS BOOK WOULD not exist without the cooperation of dozens of people who shared their lives, often in intimate and exquisite detail. To all of these people, I offe
r you my most humble thanks. You put your faith in me, and this process, and I am indebted beyond my ability to express.
Specifically, thank you to Leila and Megan O’Dell and to Jackie Furfaro and your family for giving so generously of your time, and your innermost feelings, to allow the chronicle of this tragedy.
My thanks to John Kaiserman for a patient and detailed recounting.
Thank you to the men and woman of Utah’s law enforcement community, including Bart Rindlisbacher, Scott Singleton, and Kaylene Yonk, who graciously shared their process, expertise, and much about their own lives. Prosecutors Scott Wyatt, Tony Baird, and Don Linton patiently outlined the legal processes, their approach, and, in the case of Mr. Baird and Mr. Linton, deeply personal histories that, crucially, explained some of the ways their own experiences helped shape the outcome of the case. Thank you.
Thank you to Judge Thomas Willmore for your time, personal reflections, and terrific insights about the law. And thank you for similar insights and personal accounts from Utah legislators, notably Stephen Clark and Carl Wimmer. Thank you to former ambassador and governor Jon Huntsman, Jr., and to former congressman and secretary of transportation Ray LaHood, for your insights and leadership on distracted driving. And thanks to safety advocates David Teater, Barbara Harsha, and Bill Windsor.
Thank you to Jon Bunderson, Reggie’s attorney, and Gaylyn White, Reggie’s counselor, who provided time, insights, and, with Reggie’s permission, access to your notes.
Thank you to the numerous top scientists who painstakingly explained difficult concepts and in some cases their personal stories: Dr. Daniel Anderson, Dr. Ruthann Atchley, Dr. Daphne Bavelier, Dr. Nicholas Christakis, Dr. Susan Forward, Dr. Marc Galanter, Dr. Daniel E. Lieberman, Dr. Alan Mackworth, Dr. Earl Miller, Dr. Michael Posner, Dr. Marc Potenza, Vicky Rideout, Dr. Gary Small, and Dr. Jason Watson. My deep thanks to Dr. Anne Taylor Treisman, a pioneer, who illuminated the early days of neuroscience through a prism of her own experiences. A special thanks to four scientists who made complex, cutting-edge science accessible through their lives and work: Dr. Paul Atchley; Dr. Adam Gazzaley (and to Jo Fung), Dr. David Greenfield, and Dr. David Strayer. Simply, this book would not have happened without your cooperation. A key contributor to my understanding of the science, and a world-class scientist, Dr. Clifford Nass, died far too young. We mourn your loss.
My thanks to Terryl Warner and to her family, husband Alan, and to Jayme, Taylor, Allyssa, and Katie. You all shared well beyond the call.
My thanks to Mitchell Danielson for making the time, and entrusting me with your story.
Thank you to the people of Tremonton, including Dallas Miller, Jason Zundel, and to Van and Lisa Park.
I wish to offer my deepest thanks to Mary Jane and Ed Shaw. You opened your lives and home, shared our hopes and fears, and the rawest emotions from a terrible tragedy. Thank you to Phill Shaw.
Thank you to Reggie. Per my author’s note, you have laid yourself bare to me, and the world. As an author, as a citizen, I say: thank you; you have suffered enough, and done enough.
Thank you to the extraordinary team at William Morrow/Harper Collins, led by publisher Liate Stehlik, a true author’s friend. Thank you to my superb editor, Peter Hubbard, and to the creative and energetic marketing and publicity team, Shelby Meizlik, Andy Dodds, Tavia Kowalchuk, and to Julia Black and Adam Johnson. Thank you to the national sales team for terrific support, and to Trina Hunn for great care.
Thank you to my great friend and agent, Laurie Liss, at Sterling Lord Literistic.
Thanks for terrific research and counsel to Sophie Egan, Lois Collins, and Sean Hales.
Mom and dad, you are tirelessly supportive. Thank you.
I can never repay the friendship and brotherhood of Bob Tedeschi, a sage who counseled me with compassionate wisdom in this process as he has in many adventures.
My undying thanks and all my love to my beautiful wife, Meredith Barad, a brilliant sounding board and patient listener, and to our magnificent children, Milo and Mirabel. I love you, always.
INDEX
The pagination of this electronic edition does not match the edition from which it was created. To locate a specific entry, please use your e-book reader’s search tools.
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 283–84
Aagard, Douglas, 300, 302, 304–5
abstraction, and the brain, 33
addiction:
and anticipatory link, 196
and attention science, 146
to behaviors vs. substances, 197, 350
comorbidities in, 197–98
disconnect between attitudes and behaviors, 128, 351, 375–76, 378–79, 380, 383–84
to drugs, 194, 195
external forces in, 351
to gambling, 197, 198
and interactivity, 196
and multitasking, 145–46
and technology, 5, 128, 140–41, 144, 166–68, 170–71, 192–99, 214–15, 285–86, 351, 369–70, 373, 380
use of term, 194, 197
Yale study on, 193–94, 197–98
airlines, in-flight connections on, 369
Akerson, Daniel, 371
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), 348–49
Allen, Brian, 39, 40
American Academy of Pediatrics, 260–61
Anderson, Daniel, 177–78
Anhder, Craig, 97
anticipatory link, 196
April (friend of Terryl), 130–31, 134, 149
AT&T, 67, 103, 181, 190, 366, 367, 370
Atchley, Paul, 165–71, 217, 221–22
on attention limitations, 221, 350–51
on decision making, 219, 377
early years of, 142
and intelligent design, 139–40
on multitasking, 145–46, 165
on restoring the brain, 376–77
on technology outstripping brain capacity, 100, 142–43, 144
on technology’s attraction, 141, 145–46, 166–68, 171, 192
on the value of information, 167, 169–70
and World War II pilots, 100
Atchley, Ruthann, 140
ATK Systems, 15, 21, 22, 39–40, 58, 258
attention:
bottom-up, 102, 105, 107, 108, 169, 177–78, 215, 216
control of, 62–63, 120
distraction vs., 35, 69, 70–71, 101, 108, 216–17, 229
diverted by information, 108, 199, 216
in high-level functioning, 34–35
inattention blindness, 275, 369–73
and information overload, 120, 144, 219, 339, 353
inside the brain, 334
loss of, 5, 33, 108–9
and magic, 71, 101, 106–8
and manipulation, 177
and neural networks, 103, 120
as organ system, 120
reduced attention spans, 217–19
selective, 62–63, 121
and television, 4, 175
therapy for, 284–85
top-down, 105–6, 107, 108, 169, 177–78, 216
and young people, 217–18
attentional inertia, 178
attention filter, 104–6
attention science, 4, 32–35
and addiction, 146
and aging, 229
and aviation studies, 4, 5, 99, 101, 122–23, 126, 219
and behavioral studies, 357
and brain studies, 32–35, 105–6, 119–23, 218, 221, 228, 334
cocktail party effect, 62–63, 69, 103
and driving, 123, 229, 322
emerging principles of, 105
legal application of, 269–72
and multitasking, see multitasking
and performance, 269–72, 322–23
and reaction time, 64, 104, 119, 120
and technology, 4, 119, 126, 218
and video games, 122
automobile accidents:
anecdotal evidence in, 204, 220–21
causes of, 25, 209, 252, 271
&nb
sp; cell phones involved in, 25–26, 97, 164, 267, 271, 284
criminal negligence in, 202, 223, 254, 277, 313–14
disconnect between attitudes and behaviors, 128, 283–84, 293, 351, 375–76, 378, 380, 383–84
Distracted Driving Summit, 321–24
drinking and driving, 25, 209, 228–29, 271, 277, 281, 282, 284
and drug use, 203, 292
and enforcement of tough laws, 282–83
and manslaughter, 211, 223
negligent homicide in, 202–4, 208, 211–12, 223, 236, 243, 266
public education about, 281–82, 284, 303, 324, 349, 374–75
reckless behavior in, 202, 211–12, 223, 224, 283–84, 297–98, 375
and seat belts, 281–82, 283
teen drivers in, 25, 86
texting and driving in, 25–26, 86, 203–4, 210–13, 271, 272, 298, 301–4
automobiles:
and attention science, 123, 229, 322
and cell phones, 86, 124–26, 127–28, 169, 212, 228–29, 276, 282, 283–84, 298, 373, 380–82
and decision making, 219–20
and infotainment systems, 371–72
and multitasking, 127, 369–73
and safety issues, 281–84
safety legislation for, 191, 282
safety technology in, 37–38, 124, 281–82, 283, 371
and texting, see texting and driving
aviation studies of attention, 4, 5, 99, 101, 122–23, 126, 219
Babbage, Charles, 65
baboons, research with, 198–99
Baird, Tony C., 116–18
as motorcyclist, 204, 224–25
and Reggie’s case, 117–18, 155–56, 180–81, 201–4, 209–10, 223–26
and Rindlisbacher, 116, 117–18, 155–56
and Singleton, 180–81, 202
and Terryl, 207, 209
ballistics, 63
Bavelier, Daphne, 127, 360
behavioral psychology, 104
behavioral science, 102, 128, 357
Bell, Alexander Graham, 67
Bell Telephone Company, 67
Benioff, Marc, 337
