On June 12, Christine Chao, 44, of Rosemead, California, was driving northbound on I-15 near Levan, Utah, when she rear-ended a white sedan in slowed construction traffic, pushing it into a black SUV. The back-seat passenger, Scott LaVar Lichfield, 66, of Fillmore, Utah, suffered a head injury and later died. Chao was charged Oct. 20 with second-degree felony automobile homicide while using a handheld device. Investigators found no brake marks and say her phone accessed xvideos.com less than two minutes before the crash.
Traffic had slowed due to construction near milepost 209. Prosecutors allege Chao was distracted by the porn site and did not brake. She admitted fault at the scene.
Christine Chao, 44, of Rosemead, California, was charged Tuesday with second-degree felony automobile homicide while using a handheld device. Investigators say her phone accessed xvideos.com less than two minutes before the June 12 crash on I-15 near Levan, Utah, which killed 66-year-old Scott LaVar Lichfield.
LYou're listening to Culture Tonight. I'm Laura, and a woman in Utah is facing felony charges because of what was on her phone two minutes before a fatal crash.
CAnd I'm Claudette. This one is genuinely hard to look away from. Complex posted it, and the details are worse than the headline.
LChristine Chao, 44, from Rosemead, California. June 12th, I-15 near Levan, Utah. Traffic slowed for construction.
CShe rear-ended a white sedan, pushed it into an SUV. No brake marks. None.
LThe back-seat passenger, Scott LaVar Lichfield, 66, died from a head injury. He'd celebrated his 39th wedding anniversary the day before.
CProsecutors say her phone accessed a porn site less than two minutes before impact. That's the charge: automobile homicide while using a handheld device.
LAnd she admitted fault at the scene. That part's not in dispute.
CWhat gets me is the two minutes. That's not a glance. That's actively navigating to a site, watching something, while driving through a construction zone.
LI keep thinking about the family. Five kids. A community volunteer. Gone because someone couldn't wait until they parked.
CAnd this is the part where I get angry. We've had distracted driving laws for years. Everyone knows. And still.
LBut here's my pushback: the law treats this as a second-degree felony. Is that enough? Or too much?
CToo much? A man is dead. The phone is what prosecutors are pointing to, and I think the charge fits.
LI'm not saying she shouldn't face consequences. I'm asking if the system is consistent. People scroll Instagram, text, eat. Do we charge all of them the same?
CWhen someone dies? Yes. That's the line. The activity on the phone is evidence of intent to be distracted.
LIntent to be distracted. That's a phrase that should scare every driver.
CIt should. And the Utah Highway Patrol said there were no skid marks. She never even hit the brakes.
LThat detail is the one that stays with me. Not a swerve, not a last-second panic. Just impact.
CThe charging documents are public. The phone examination is in there. This isn't a rumor.
LAnd that's why it's so chilling. It's not a hypothetical about distracted driving. It's a timestamp.
CSpeaking of things people can't stop watching, CBS is crowing about premiere week ratings.
LVariety says multiplatform numbers are way up year over year. Big increases, exclusive report.
CI'd love to know what 'multiplatform' means now. Streaming plus linear? Delayed viewing? A week of TikTok clips?
LThat's the game now. Networks need a win, so they count everything. Someone watches a clip on their phone at 2 a.m., that's a viewer.
CAnd to be fair, we couldn't independently confirm the figures. Variety's reporting it, CBS is happy, but the methodology is theirs.
LI'm more interested in what actually premiered. If the shows are good, the numbers will follow.
CDifferent world entirely: a Bluesky user is losing their mind over a possible new Dead Man's Bones album.
LDead Man's Bones. Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields. That weird, spooky, children's choir album from 2009.
CThe post says 'NEW DEAD MAN'S BONES ALBUM IN THE BIG 2026' with about forty exclamation points.
LI want this to be true. That album is a cult classic. But there's no official announcement. No label, no single, nothing.
CSo we're in rumor territory. A fan account got excited, and honestly, I get it. Gosling's been busy being a movie star.
LIf he found time to make another album of haunted lullabies, I'd be first in line. But until someone official says it, it's just hope.
CAnd hope is not a release date. We'll keep an ear out.
LOne more from the music world: Helena Deland has a new album called 'Eternity Shrugs'.
CTreble's reporting it, with a single called 'Tip of My Tongue.' Canadian singer-songwriter, very intimate, very precise.
LI like her. She's got that quiet intensity. The title alone is a mood.
CTreble's the source here, so it's worth watching for the official word.
LIf it's real, that's a good Thursday night listen. And that's the show for now.
CWe'll be back with more of what the internet is arguing about. I'm Claudette.
LAnd I'm Laura. Drive safe. Actually, just put the phone down.