Its no secret that people tend to boast on the internet more than they would in real life. Sometimes though this impulse could lead to trouble. For example, if you call in sick at work and then post pictures of your fun-filled trip to the beach boasting how you duped your way out of work, you’re likely to get penalized if someone at the office seems them, or even fired. For 18 year old Cody Hall, the consequences of boasting online may result in 15 years to life in prison.
Hall was arrested for allegedly hitting two cyclists with his car, he was reportedly driving at 83 mph in a zone where the speed limit was 40 mph. The collision caused the death of 58 year old Diana Hersevoort and injury to her husband who survived the accident. Hall was charged with reckless driving and vehicular manslaughter. During their investigation, prosecutors scrutinized Hall’s Twitter feed and found him boasting many times about his habit of driving fast. In one tweet, he said that he had driven at 140 mph on an interstate highway. A tweet hours before the accident read “Drive fast live young.” This, coupled with his previous driving offences lead to prosecutors upping the charge from vehicular manslaughter to murder. Currently imprisoned, Hall may be sentenced 15 years to life plus an additional 3 years and eight moths for reckless driving if prosecutors are able to make the charges stick in court.