NJ Woman Faces Charges After Police Say She Was Texting In Crash That Killed Her Daughter
By Cleve Bryan
MIDDLE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) – A Cape May County woman is being charged with vehicular homicide after police say she was texting when she caused a crash that killed her daughter.
Around 7 a.m. on July 9, 2014, 40-year-old Kristen Williams, formerly Kristin Conner, was driving a pickup truck on Rt 47 northbound when she went off the road and hit a utility pole.
Her 11-year-old daughter Morgan Ferguson was ejected and died from her injuries.
This week the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office charged Williams with vehicular homicide saying use of a cell phone is part of the charges.
"We certainly don't want anyone distracted behind the wheel," says Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRea, whose office is handling the case because of a conflict of interest in Cape May County.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving is to blame for about 3,000 deaths and 400,000 injuries each year.
"You're supposed to be focused on the road, unfortunately when you're distracted you're taking your focus off the road and putting it on something else which we don't want you to do," says state trooper Dianna Wamsher from the Woodbine Station in Cape May County.
Williams was released without needing to post bail and court officials say there is no date for her next court appearance.