Video: Woman painting nails behind the wheel kills another driver
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Nail-painting driver kills motorcyclist
Nail-painting driver strikes and kills motorcyclist. Charlie Wojociechowski reports.
Published: May 5, 2009
A Chicago area motorist has admitted to police that she was painting her fingernails when she struck and killed a motorcyclist over the weekend.
Anita Zaffke, of Lake Zurich, was stopped at a traffic light when she was hit from behind by a Chevy Impala at a stop light Saturday evening.
“It appears to be a tragic accident and it appears Zaffke did nothing wrong,“ Lake County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Scott Morrison said. “She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and she could not have done anything to avoid it.“
The driver of the Impala, Lora Hunt, 48, of Morris, told police she was painting her fingernails as she approached the red light at that corner, and she apparently didn’t see the motorcycle.
“She conceded to us that she was not paying attention, did not see the motorcycle in front of her, stopped, really was oblivious to what was transpiring around her,“ said Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran.
Lake County Coroner Richard Keller said that Zaffke died from chest and abdominal injuries about an hour later at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington.
Morrison said Hunt was cited with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and could face additional charges.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s office says it’s looking into criminal charges, as well.
“We are looking into charges in the case,“ Assistant State’s Attorney Patricia Fix said. “But we are waiting for results of blood and urine tests and waiting for the results of an accident reconstruction, as well as any other technical evidence we can derive from the scene.“
Zaffke’s son, Greg, a soccer coach at Barrington High School, said he will be painting his fingernails black in his mother’s memory, and he said he hopes his students will do the same.
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Reader Reactions
So May is Motorcycle Awareness Month. Whooptee Friggin’ Doo. Some of the names will change, but expect the same old hollow proclamations, pointless pronouncements and self-serving photo ops ... the same clueless cub reporting confusing “motorcycle awareness” (the cause) with “motorcycle safety” (the commodity) ... and when all the hoopla is history, yet another annualized increase in the number of responsible motorcycle riders left dead and dying on the side of the road, their tickets punched by care-less motorists whose cell phone calls, texting and other discretionary distractions take precedence over paying attention to their driving. And why should we expect otherwise, when the cost of maiming or even killing a biker in America is often no more than what you’ll pay to beat a speeding ticket?
More at tinyurl[dot]com/motorcycleawarenesswhitewash
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