Utah multi-vehicle crash results in one fatality and investigation into driver distraction

A multi-vehicle collision on Interstate 15 near Levan, Utah, has resulted in the death of a 66-year-old man and injuries to several others. Investigators allege that Christine Chao, 44, of Rosemead, California, caused the accident after her SUV struck a white car from behind in a construction zone, triggering a chain reaction involving three vehicles.

Authorities reported that Chao had been accessing pornographic content on her mobile phone less than two minutes before the crash. The investigation noted a lack of brake marks at the scene, suggesting a failure to react to slowing traffic.

Among those injured was a Venezuelan family traveling from Utah to Montana. The family, including a 42-year-old man and a six-year-old girl, were receiving treatment at a hospital in Murray following their vehicle rolling multiple times during the incident. The passenger in the white vehicle, Scott LaVar Litchfield, died from his injuries.