A California woman faces a felony automobile homicide charge after police discovered her cellphone had accessed a pornography website less than two minutes before a fatal three-vehicle crash on a Utah interstate.
Juab County prosecutors filed the charge against Christine Chao, 44, of Rosemead, California, on October 20, more than four months after the June 12 collision. Police say her SUV struck the rear of a sedan that had slowed for construction on Interstate 15, setting off a crash that killed a 66-year-old passenger.
Chao told responding officers she was at fault, and troopers reported finding no braking marks suggesting she had slowed before impact. The crash occurred in a construction zone where traffic had been moving at reduced speeds.
The newly filed court documents reveal that police subsequently obtained a warrant to examine Chao’s cellphone. The results became part of a second-degree felony charge alleging she caused another person’s death through criminally negligent driving while using a handheld communications device.
Three Vehicles Leave Interstate 15
Embedded media follows; please allow a moment to load.
Crash
NB I-15 at MP 210 (Levan) Juab Co.
Right Shoulder
Est. Clearance Time: 04:05 PM
For updates: https://t.co/83HMInN9bs— UDOT Traffic (@UDOTTRAFFIC)
June 12, 2026
The crash occurred around 1:48 p.m. on June 12, near milepost 209 in Juab County, approximately 100 miles south of Salt Lake City. Construction had slowed northbound traffic, and two vehicles were traveling at reduced speeds when Chao approached from behind.
The criminal information filed in Utah’s Fourth District Court describes Chao’s vehicle striking the rear of a sedan and forcing it into another vehicle ahead. All three vehicles subsequently left the roadway.
Utah Highway Patrol photographs show the aftermath. The white sedan’s trunk was crushed inward, its rear bodywork buckled, and sections of its bumper assembly displaced. The blue SUV came to rest off the interstate near a damaged fence, while a black SUV stopped along the roadside.
Scott LaVar Lichfield, 66, of Fillmore, Utah, was riding in the white sedan’s back seat. He suffered a fatal head injury.
The wreck closed northbound I-15 for several hours. Utah Department of Transportation updates directed motorists off the interstate at milepost 206, routing them through Levan and toward Nephi on state highways 78 and 28. Traffic remained heavily delayed even after the interstate reopened that evening.
A Website Visit Becomes Evidence
The October 20 probable cause statement, submitted by UHP Trooper Richard Tinoco, describes how police obtained evidence from Chao’s cellphone following the collision.
Troopers seized the device and secured a search warrant allowing them to examine its contents. The examination found that the phone had accessed xvideos.com, a pornography website, less than two minutes before the crash.
The filing does not specify what was displayed on the phone or whether a video was playing at the moment of impact.
Prosecutors allege Chao was operating her vehicle with criminal negligence while using a handheld wireless communications device, causing Lichfield’s death. The charge is a second-degree felony under Utah Code § 76-5-207.5.
The probable cause statement identifies the website activity and its proximity to the crash but does not explain the precise manner in which Chao was using or holding her phone. Whether the evidence establishes the elements of the offense will be determined through the criminal proceedings.
Four Months After the Collision
Lichfield was a husband, father, and grandfather who had celebrated his 39th wedding anniversary the day before the collision. His obituary describes his involvement in his church, where he served as a Sunday school teacher, Scout leader, and financial clerk.
Juab County Attorney Jared Rowley filed the criminal information on October 20 in Utah’s Fourth District Court. The case, State of Utah v. Christine Chao, is numbered 261600146 and is assigned to Judge Shawn R. Howell.
Chao was issued a criminal summons rather than arrested. She has been directed to report to the Juab County Jail for fingerprinting and photographing before her initial court appearance on November 17, 2026, at 8:15 a.m.
All parties are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.