The family of a Chicago man who was struck and killed by a car last year, filed a wrongful death suit alleging that the driver was updating her Facebook page on her cell phone at the time of the crash.
Raymond Veloz, 70, had pulled over to sort out a minor vehicle accident in South Chicago on Dec. 7, 2010 when Araceli Beas drove her car into Veloz, according to the Chicago Tribune. The complaint, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, also states that Beas’ Facebook page shows that it was updated by mobile phone at 7:54 a.m., the same time that Veloz made an emergency 911 phone call.
Veloz was taken to a nearby hospital where he died of his injuries -- a partially severed leg and massive bleeding, according to the complaint.
Police cited Beas for "failure to avoid striking a pedestrian," but the suit alleges that she operated her vehicle negligently. Veloz's daughter, who filed the complaint, is also asking for an unspecified amount of money.
Illinois instituted a no texting while driving law in 2009, so if Beas is guilty of updating her Facebook status while driving, she could be found not only liable but also in violation of state law.
