A federal court in South Carolina recently awarded nearly $5 million to a woman whose husband was killed by a driver who was talking on her cell phone while driving.

The driver, Sharon King, was driving her company-owned car, a Chrysler Pacifica, when she killed two bicyclists, and it seems her numerous distractions may have had an impact on the crash.

Evidence showed King was on her cell phone at the time of the crash, as per her cell phone company records and the woman with whom she was talking with.  In her defense, her lawyers said she had put the phone down and was operating the car radio when the accident occurred.  Moreover, it was reported that King had more than one dog in her car, which may have provided further distraction.

According to court records, the road she was driving on barely had any traffic; the weather was clear; the bicycles were well to her right.  To sum it up, nothing but negligence on her part seems to have caused the crash.

King‘s lawyers also settled a lawsuit from the widow of the other bicyclist she hit for $2.5 million a few weeks ago.

She pleaded guilty to reckless driving in the deaths of the two cyclists.   She received the maximum fine of $200.

Source: South Carolina’s The State, January 28, 2010 & February 5, 2010

Related posts:

1. Distracted driver faces up to 9 years in prison
2. South Carolina may add to the growing list of states banning texting while driving
3. Texting driver caused city landscaper’s death
4. American Trucking Association rallies to ban distracted driving
5. A shocking PSA about texting and driving