A teacher in Colorado was found guilty on Friday for causing the death of a 10-year-old boy while texting and driving.
Ashley Weiss, who teaches middle school in Timnath, which is near Fort Collins, was convicted of careless driving that resulted in death.
The tragic incident happened around 6 p.m. on August 2, 2023. Weiss was driving her Audi SUV and looking at her phone when she hit Oliver “Ollie” Stratton, who was riding his bicycle on Saddle Horn Drive. Sadly, he was taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after, according to local authorities.
Weiss admitted to sending and receiving texts while driving just before the crash, and she was found to have deleted those messages afterward. Before her trial began in December, she pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence.
She is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, facing up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for her misdemeanor charges.
The parents of Oliver Stratton expressed their disappointment with the verdict, stating that they do not view it as true justice because of the lighter punishment Weiss faces. They are advocating for stricter laws regarding distracted driving, urging lawmakers to make such offenses felonies rather than misdemeanors.
“We call on Colorado and other states to pass tougher laws and harsher penalties that will truly hold distracted drivers accountable,” said the child’s parents. “The District Attorney’s office did everything it could under the current system, but we all must do more.”
