Texting Driver Kills Man, Avoids Jail

By Andrew Lu on June 12, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Talk about light sentences. Texting driver killer Nechama Rothberger will avoid jail time for striking and killing 53-year-old deliveryman, Tian Sheng Lin.

Instead, the penalty she faces may surprise you.

Rothberger crashed her Toyota Camry into Lin in Brooklyn in 2010. At the time of the accident, Nechama Rothberger was texting on her cell phone when she struck Lin who was riding a scooter.

For Lin's death, the 21-year-old Rothberger will face only five years probation, contribute 100 hours of community service, and will have her driver's license suspended for a year, reports The New York Times. That's it. For killing someone.

The texting driver killer agreed to plead guilty to negligent homicide. Ordinarily, this charge is considered a class E felony in New York and may require a four-year prison sentence. However, by pleading guilty, Rothberger was able to work out the favorable deal. It's unclear the prosecutor's motivation in reaching such a light sentence. Perhaps they reviewed Rothberger's criminal background, or lack of criminal background, and the remorse she shown.

More likely, the district attorney's office was overwhelmed with cases and sought the opportunity to close a case quickly, though it should be noted that Tian Sheng Lin's family agreed to the plea deal. Lin's death did inspire a new law signed last year which makes texting while driving a primary offense, meaning that the police no longer need a separate reason to pull over a texting driver, reports the Times.

Texting driver killer Nechama Rothberger amazingly avoided any jail time for killing Tian Sheng Lin. On the brightside, a new law was passed that may prevent future, similar incidents.

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