An Indiana woman who was driving at nearly triple the speed limit when she caused a fatal crash last year will avoid any jail time.
Plea Deal Keeps Woman Who Caused Fatal Crash Out Of Prison
Stacey R. Motz-Altman, 38, has pled guilty but mentally ill to felony charges of reckless homicide and criminal recklessness as part of a plea deal. She will avoid prison but was sentenced to 8 and a half years of probation.
On September 8 2016, Motz-Altman was traveling eastbound in a passenger vehicle on U.S. 30 in Fort Wayne when she slammed into another car driven by 54-year-old Luann Simon. The crash forced Simon’s car into the rear of a tractor trailer. Investigators believe that Simon’s car may have been dragged several hundred feet before the truck stopped.
Simon later passed away in the hospital as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.
Investigators: Motorist Nearly Tripled Posted Speed Limit
Investigators were able to use data from a seatbelt control module to determine that Motz-Altman had hit speeds of 142 m.p.h. during the rear-end crash. The posted speed limit on U.S. 30 in the area is 50 m.p.h.
According to Fort Wayne Police Department officer Christopher Reed, “Not only did the defendant’s actions cause the death of Luann Simon, her actions created a serious risk to Wojchiech Marusarz, who was operating the 2007 Volvo tractor-trailer, as well as other nearby vehicles and their occupants operating upon U.S. 30 at the time of the incident.”
Drugs and alcohol were not a factor in the crash. Metz-Altman told authorities that she was suffering from food poisoning and was driving to get food when she crashed.
Motz-Altman was ordered to spend the first year of her probation on home detention. She is not allowed to drive during the entire period of her probation. The judge ordered her to pay $29,187 to Simon’s husband. Motz-Altman was also ordered to continue taking medication to continue treatment for her mental illness.