Deborah Matis-Engle, 49, at the time of the accident was paying her bills with her cellphone and driving at the same time.
The cars in front of her stopped because of a construction zone, but she didn’t pay attention to the commotion; as she was texting, she hit the row of cars and killed a female driver.
Apparently she had paid some of the bills successfully just before the accident. But as she continued to pay her other bills, she collided with one of the cars and killed its driver, 46-year-old Petra Winn.
Investigators at the accident scene cited her for speeding and text messaging.
The judge in Redding, California sentenced her to six-years in prison.
Defense attorney Jeffrey Stotter plans to appeal on behalf of Deborah Matis-Engle.
Also, read American Medical Association article, "
Texting while driving is bad". They have found that text messaging distracts driving and causes more accidents, even while using wireless devices.
