A St. Francis woman is charged with criminal vehicular homicide after investigators say she was using her phone in the moments before she fatally rear-ended a motorcyclist last fall.

Multiple witnesses told deputies the motorcyclist had been stationary and waiting to make a turn when the Traverse slammed into him. Surveillance footage from a nearby gas station confirmed the account, showing no apparent effort by the driver of the Traverse to slow down before impact. One witness described the SUV’s speed as “not slow.”

Deputies identified Pietrzak as the driver and sole occupant of the Traverse. The documents say she initially admitted to being on her phone and not paying attention, but later told others that the sun had been in her eyes. Investigators noted that at the time of the crash, the sun was high in the sky and southeast of her travel direction, making it unlikely to have impaired her vision.