California woman charged with automobile homicide in fatal Utah crash

Christine Chao, 44, of Rosemead, California, has been charged with automobile homicide following a fatal three-vehicle collision on Interstate 15 in Utah. The incident occurred on June 12 during construction that had slowed traffic to a crawl.

According to charging documents, Chao’s SUV struck the rear of a white sedan, which then collided with another SUV ahead of it. All three vehicles eventually left the roadway. Investigators reported that Chao admitted responsibility for the crash and found that she had accessed a pornography website on her cellphone less than two minutes before the collision.

One victim, 66-year-old Scott LaVar Lichfield, died from a fatal head injury sustained while seated in the back of one of the vehicles. Lichfield was described by his family as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a dedicated financial professional and Sunday school teacher.