Woman, 20, Accused Of Texting While Driving Faces Up To 10 Years For Fatal Crash
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ)—An Anne Arundel County woman now faces charges for the death of a motorcycle driver and police say it's all because she was texting while driving.
Derek Valcourt has details on the crash and the charges against the young woman.
It's the first time in Anne Arundel County anyone has been charged with manslaughter while texting.
Thirty-year-old Jonathan Wesley Roberts, of Virginia, was a father, brother and son, who loved riding his motorcycle.
On March 10 he was riding north along Route 3 in Gambrills. That's when then 19-year-old Elizabeth Haley Meyers drove her car right into his path as she tried to cross Route 3 to get to the Royal Farms.
Roberts died in the resulting accident.
The Anne Arundel County state's attorney says she can prove Meyers was texting while driving.
"We have an eyewitness who was walking in the area. He saw her driving with one hand on the wheel and the other hand looking down and texting. We also have cell phone records, which confirm she was texting at the time," said Anne Colt Leitess, Anne Arundel County state's attorney.
Meyers is now facing several charges, including negligent manslaughter.
She's getting little sympathy from fellow drivers.
"She deserves it. I mean she deserves to get in trouble for something. She killed a guy," one man said.
"Texting, c'mon. Your hands and your mind and your eyesight are being used at the same time. You can't drive a vehicle doing those type of things," said Mike Grady, driver.
The charges against Meyers come just days after Maryland's newest distracted driving law takes effect--making it now illegal to not only text while driving but to talk on a handheld phone as well.
Anne Arundel County's police chief says criminal charges against Meyers should serve as a warning.
"This is big wake-up call to everyone to knock it off and drive your car," said Kevin Davis, Anne Arundel County police chief.
If convicted, Meyers faces the possibility of up to 10 years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.
WJZ could not reach Meyers for comment on this story.
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