This takes distracted driving to a whole other level.
A truck driver was allegedly watching porn videos on his phone for more than 20 minutes including the moments before fatally hitting a construction worker along a Twin Cities area interstate, StarTribune reports.
Tate R. Doom, 47, from St. Paul Park, Minn., was charged with vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation in connection with the crash that took the life of Vernon Hedquist, 59, of Pillager, Minn., last fall.
According to the criminal complaint, Doom’s semi was travelling 72 miles per hour through a construction zone when he rear-ended a pickup truck travelling 50 miles per hour, causing the trailer to separate and hit Hedquist.
Investigators recovered two cell phones from Doom’s vehicle that showed he had deleted 14 pornographic video downloaded from Pornhub in a reported attempt to mask what went on during the time of the crash.
Forensic investigators recovered the files and learned the videos had been playing for over 20 minutes.
Investigators also found the final five-minute video that started playing 90 seconds prior to the crash.
Chuck Laszewski, spokesperson for the County Attorney’s Office said: “It appears, based on the investigation, that he was watching pornography at the time of (impact),” StarTribune reports.
Doom claims he was not watching the videos and that he was travelling only 50 miles per hour. He also has yet to hire any legal representation according to court documents.
Hedquist’s wife, Cindy, claimed he was “very concerned about his safety on the job,” a day after his death.
A Sunday school teacher, Hedquist had worked for many years with the Minnesota Department of Transportation before taking a job with WSB in 2014.
Doom is being held in jail on $30,000 bail with an August 12 hearing set.
