Driver charged after fatal crash in Utah
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on La Nouvelle Tribune
Christine Chao, a 44-year-old California driver, has been charged with automobile homicide after a collision on Interstate 15 in Utah killed 66-year-old Scott LaVar Lichfield. Charging documents indicate that her phone accessed a pornographic website less than two minutes before the 12 June accident, according to police.
Christine Chao, a 44-year-old Californian, was charged on Tuesday 20 October 2026 with automobile homicide in Utah, United States, after an accident that killed a 66-year-old man, according to court documents.
The driver’s phone had been used to access a pornographic website less than two minutes before the collision, which occurred on 12 June on Interstate 15. Traffic had slowed because of roadworks when her vehicle hit the back of a car, which was then pushed into a third vehicle.
Scott LaVar Lichfield, a rear-seat passenger in one of the vehicles, suffered severe head trauma and later died. Police found no skid marks on the road, while Christine Chao told them she was responsible for the accident.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
