A Minnesota woman who was texting while driving when she hit a motorcyclist from north-central Iowa two years ago has been sentenced.
Twenty-three-year-old Erica Nelson of New Richland was sentenced to 10 years probation, must serve 480 hours of community service, and pay $20,000 in restitution after pleading guilty earlier this year to a charge of felony vehicular homicide.
Nelson was accused by prosecutors of texting while driving in August of 2010 when her car struck 58-year-old Ronald Berschman of Buffalo Center head-on. Another motorist told authorities that he saw Nelson’s car in the wrong lane prior to the crash.
Nelson had previously told investigators that she possibly fainted at the time of the accident.
By Bob Fisher, KRIB, Mason City