A 40-something woman living in Rosemead has been indicted on charges of causing a fatal three-vehicle collision after browsing an adult content website on her mobile phone while driving.
The accident resulted in the death of a man in his 60s who was riding in another vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
The Juab County Attorney’s Office in Utah announced on the 20th that Christine Chao, 44, was charged with automobile homicide due to mobile phone use. This charge falls under a second-degree felony classification.
The crash occurred on June 12 near Levan City on Interstate 15 northbound in Juab County.
As traffic slowed down due to ongoing road work, Chao, driving a blue SUV, rear-ended a white sedan ahead of her. The impact pushed the sedan into a black SUV in front of it, causing all three vehicles to veer off the roadway.
A 66-year-old male passenger in the white sedan suffered severe head injuries and died at the scene.
Chao admitted to Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) troopers responding to the scene that her negligence caused the accident.
Investigators found no skid marks indicating Chao attempted to brake or slow down prior to the crash. After seizing and analyzing her phone’s usage records, authorities confirmed she had accessed an adult website approximately two minutes before the collision.
Prosecutors indicted Chao on charges of causing the accident while using a mobile phone behind the wheel. Chao is currently out of custody, and the Fourth Judicial District Court of Utah has issued a summons for her to appear at a future court date.
