Chicago Driver Sued for Updating Facebook Page During Fatal Crash

By: Caroline Black
Topics: Daily Blotter

Chicago Motorist Araceli Beas Accused of Updating Facebook During Fatal Crash, Says Lawsuit

CBS

(CBS/WBBM) A 21-year-old Chicago motorist has been hit with a wrongful death lawsuit after she allegedly struck and killed a 70-year-old man while attempting to update her Facebook page on her cell phone.

The daughter of the victim, Raymond Veloz, filed the suit Monday in Cook County Circuit Court claiming that Araceli Beas' Facebook page showed an update posted at 7:54 a.m. on Dec. 7, 2010 - the same time that Veloz's cell phone records showed a call being made to 911.

Veloz's daughter Regina Cabrales alleges in her suit that Beas operated her vehicle without keeping a proper and sufficient focus, drove while using an electronic communication device and failed to slow down to avoid an accident, reports CBS affiliate WBBM.

Beas' mother, Rosario Rodriguez, came to her daughter's defense claiming that she posted the Facebook update as she sat in her car while waiting for it to warm up outside her boyfriend's home two miles away from where the crash occurred, reports The Chicago Tribune.

Beas told police that she had been temporarily blinded by the sun at the time of the collision.

Beas was ticketed for striking a pedestrian in the roadway, a Chicago police spokesman said, according to CBS affiliate WBBM.

Veloz had exited his vehicle after getting into a minor accident with another motorist around 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 7. He was standing near the other driver's vehicle exchanging information when he was struck by Beas, says WBBM.

Veloz was pronounced dead around 9:30 a.m. at a nearby hospital, says The Tribune.

Cabrales is asking for an unspecified amount of money.

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by Danielmountain February 17, 2011 10:27 AM EST: Girls are obsessed with using their cell phones.

Go to a bar or club on a Saturday night and what are they doing? That's right -- staring into their cell phones.; Reply to this comment


by pak31 February 17, 2011 8:40 AM EST: I agree, unless her mom was there to prove it then don't make excuses. Younger drivers and older as well, don't need to be doing "work" while driving. No one seems to understand how serious it is to pay attention and keep 100% of your focus on the road while driving. It's not that difficult to do.; Reply to this comment


by me_n_my_angel February 16, 2011 3:48 PM EST: Message for Beas' mom: Stop making excuses for your daughter. This isn't helping her learn how to take responsibility for her actions.; Reply to this comment