Deborah Matis-Engle was sentenced to 6 years in prison for causing the fatal crash due to her paying bills on her cell phone. Matis-Engle crashed into a string of stopped vehicles while text-messaging. She killed Petra Winn a woman in one of the vehicles. The vehicles were stopped due to a construction zone in August 2007.
Investigators reported that Deborah Matis-Engle was not only text messaging while driving but also speeding.
The Shasta County prosecutor stated that the 49-year-od defendant had paid several bills via her cell phone moments before the crash and was in the middle of paying another one at the time of the deadly crash. The prosecutor in the case was Stephanie Bridgett.
The vehicle being driven by Matis-Engle struck into 46- year-old- Petra Winn who was 46 years of age. Upon impact Winn's vehicle burst into flames, killing Petra Winn.
Jeffrey Stotter defense attorney for Matis-Engle said he will file an appeal.
