Key Takeaways
- Christine Chao, 44, faces a second-degree felony automobile homicide charge after investigators found that she allegedly accessed a porn site less than two minutes before a deadly Utah freeway crash.
- Police say Chao rear-ended a sedan in slowed construction traffic without braking, triggering a three-vehicle collision that killed back-seat passenger Scott LaVar Lichfield, 66.
- Authorities issued Chao a summons instead of taking her into custody, and she is scheduled to appear in Utah’s 4th District Court on November 17.
A California woman is facing a felony charge after investigators discovered she had allegedly accessed a pornography website on her phone less than two minutes before a deadly freeway crash in Utah.
Christine Chao, 44, of Rosemead, California, was charged Tuesday (Oct. 20) with automobile homicide while using a handheld device, a second-degree felony, according to KSL.
The charges stem from a June 12 crash on Interstate 15 near Levan in Juab County, where traffic had slowed significantly because of construction near milepost 209.
According to investigators, Chao was driving a blue SUV northbound when she slammed into the back of a white sedan. The impact pushed the sedan into a black SUV ahead of it, sending all three vehicles off the highway. Chao's vehicle eventually stopped against a fence.
Police said Chao acknowledged responsibility for the collision at the scene. Investigators also reported finding no skid marks indicating she attempted to brake before hitting the vehicle.
Authorities later obtained a search warrant for Chao's cellphone, which reportedly revealed activity on an adult website shortly before the crash.
"An examination of the phone pursuant to the warrant showed that (Chao) had accessed the website xvideos.com less than two minutes before the crash occurred," prosecutors wrote in charging documents. "This website is commonly used to view pornographic videos."
The collision left 66-year-old Scott LaVar Lichfield of Fillmore, Utah, critically injured. Lichfield had been sitting in the back seat of the white sedan when it was struck.
Emergency crews shut down the interstate to allow a medical helicopter to land and transport Lichfield to a nearby hospital. He later died from his injuries.
Lichfield's death came just one day after he and his wife celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary. According to his obituary, he was a father of five who spent years volunteering in his community, including serving as a Sunday School teacher and Scout leader.
"It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of our sweet Husband, Dad, Papa (Pop Pop), Uncle, Cousin, Nephew," his family wrote in a tribute. "He was one very loved gentle soul."
Rather than taking Chao into custody, authorities issued a summons requiring her to appear in court. She is scheduled to make her first appearance in Utah's 4th District Court on November 17.
