A California woman has been charged with a felony following a deadly June crash in Juab County, Utah, after officials said she accessed a pornography website shortly before the collision, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY on Oct. 21.
Christine Chao, 44, was charged on Tuesday, Oct. 20, with one count of automobile homicide while texting or emailing, a second-degree felony. The charge is tied to a three-vehicle crash that occurred on June 12.
The collision involved three vehicles that went off the road. While a passenger in one of the vehicles was in critical condition when troopers arrived, that individual was later pronounced dead at the scene.
According to court documents, traffic was slowing due to construction when Chao reportedly struck one of the vehicles, causing it to crash into the vehicle in front of it. Investigators noted a lack of brake marks on the road, leading to the belief that Chao did not slow down before the collision.
Following the crash, Chao told officers that she was at fault. A search warrant revealed that Chao used her phone to access XVideos, a website associated with pornographic videos, less than two minutes before the crash occurred.
Chao is expected to make an initial court appearance on Nov. 17. Juab County Attorney Jared Rowley declined to comment on the case, and it remains unclear if Chao has obtained legal representation.
