Woman 'Looking up Porn' Before Deadly Utah Crash That Killed Grandfather a Day After His Wedding Anniversary

A California woman allegedly accessed a pornography website less than two minutes before a Utah crash that fatally injured a grandfather who had celebrated his 39th wedding anniversary the day before.

Christine Chao, 44, of Rosemead, California, has been charged with automobile homicide, a second-degree felony, over a three-vehicle collision on northbound Interstate 15 near Levan, in Juab County. The crash happened on 12 June 2026. She was charged on Tuesday, 20 October, in 4th District Court, more than four months later.

Scott LaVar Lichfield, 66, of Fillmore, was a back-seat passenger in one of the vehicles. He suffered a head injury and later died, according to the Utah Highway Patrol. His obituary says he died on 12 June.

Utah Crash Leads to Felony Charge

Chao was charged with automobile homicide while using a handheld device. She was not arrested, and a summons has been issued for her to appear at upcoming court hearings, the station said. Reports give 17 November as the date of her first court appearance.

The road was closed for a medical helicopter to land at the scene, ABC4 reported. Charging documents say Chao told officers she was at fault. The statement is part of the evidence described in the case, not a judicial finding that she committed the offence.

No Brake Marks Before Impact

Traffic had slowed because of construction. According to the charging documents, two vehicles were travelling at a reduced speed when Chao's vehicle approached from behind. She was driving a blue SUV and struck a white sedan, which was pushed into a black SUV ahead. All three vehicles left the road.

'Officers did not observe any brake marks on the road to indicate the defendant slowed before the crash,' the charging documents state. Investigators allege her vehicle struck the rearmost car and caused the chain-reaction collision.Lichfield was in the car Chao hit directly.

Phone Search Reveals Alleged Porn Visit

Investigators seized Chao's phone after the collision and obtained a warrant to search it. 'An examination of the phone pursuant to the warrant showed that (Chao) had accessed the website xvideos.com less than two minutes before the crash occurred,' the charging documents state. The documents describe the site as 'commonly used to view pornographic videos'.

These are allegations in a charging document. Chao is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

No Confirmation of Viewing at Impact

The passages of the charging documents published by KSL describe an alleged website visit shortly before the collision. They do not say what, if anything, was playing on Chao's screen when the vehicles collided.

A website visit alone does not establish what caused the crash. Whether the evidence meets the legal test for the offence will be decided in court.

Grandfather Had Just Marked Anniversary

Lichfield's obituary says he had celebrated his 39th wedding anniversary with his wife, Debbie, the day before the crash. He is survived by five children and 11 grandchildren.

'The very best thing he loved was just being with his children and grandchildren,' the obituary says. 'He would see a grandchild and say to them, "Come give me a hug." He loved them so very much.' He read to them, watched movies with them, played chess and built Lego.

The obituary also remembers him as a Sunday school teacher, nursery leader, Scout leader and financial clerk in three different church wards. He 'loved and adored playing Santa Claus', it says, and he 'even had a red winter jacket to keep the magic alive all winter'.