EUREKA - The death of a 17-year-old Eureka girl is drawing renewed warnings about the dangers of text messaging and driving.

"It's worse than messing with the radio," said Sgt. Tony Halsey with Illinois State Police Dist. 8 in Metamora. "Your eyes are away from the road for too long when you text. With the radio, your eyes are down for a second."

Alyssa G. Burns died at 12:55 p.m. Thursday after she lost control of her Buick Rendezvous near Woodford County Roads 800 North and 1900 East, about two miles southwest of Secor.

Woodford County Coroner Tim Ruestman said Friday the time of the 911 call for help and the last received text message on Burns cell phone were within seconds of each other.

"We've suspected text messaging was a factor in other crashes, but with this is the first one where we can actually correlate the two," Ruestman said.

Burns vehicle had drifted into the lane of oncoming traffic as she crested a hill where she met an oncoming car, Ruestman said. Burns turned to avoid the oncoming vehicle and drove into a ditch where her vehicle rolled several times, he added.

Halsey and Ruestman said text messaging is just as big of a problem with adult drivers as it is with teen drivers.

"It doesn't matter the age," Ruestman said. "I've caught myself sending a message on my Blackberry."

Earlier this spring the General Assembly moved House Bill 71 on to Gov. Pat Quinn that would make text messaging and driving illegal. The bill is still waiting for Quinn's signature.

"If he signed it, that would be very beneficial," Halsey said. "It's definitely dangerous."

Current Illinois law makes it illegal for anyone under the age of 19 to drive and to use their cell phone for either talking or text messaging, Halsey said.