18 months in jail for fatal crash caused by nail-polishing

A woman convicted of killing a motorcyclist last year while painting her fingernails was sentenced Thursday to 18 months of periodic imprisonment.

Lora Hunt, 49, of Morris had faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the death of Lake Zurich resident Anita Zaffke.

In opting for periodic imprisonment - a sentence to be served at the Lake County jail that allows release for work, medical care and other reasons - Circuit Judge Fred Foreman said a message needed to be sent to motorists about the dangers of distracted driving. He railed against people who text or check their e-mail while behind the wheel, among other distractions.

"In our society, distracted driving is becoming an epidemic," Foreman said before handing down the sentence, which also included 30 months of probation and 240 hours of public service. "(People) don't appreciate how dangerous that vehicle is or what they could do to other people."

A jury found Hunt guilty of reckless homicide in May.

Hunt was painting her fingernails when she struck Zaffke's motorcycle at the intersection of Rand and Old McHenry roads in Lake Zurich. Zaffke, 56, had stopped for a yellow light.

The courtroom gallery was packed Thursday with members of the Zaffke and Hunt families and their friends.

The victim's husband, Greg, and son, Greg Zaffke II, both read emotional statements during Thursday's hearing. Both wore black nail polish on their left hands, which has become something of a trademark for the men since Anita Zaffke's death.

The elder Zaffke described how living without his wife has been "torture."

"I agonize over not being able to tell her one more time how much I love and admire her, or to say one final goodbye," he said.

The younger Zaffke talked of the nightmares he's had since his mother's death, dreams of her final moments.

"This is a wound that will never heal," he testified.

Eight people, including husband Mark Hunt and two of their children, testified for the defense. Lora Hunt, who cried throughout the hearing, spoke on her own behalf as well.

"All of the eloquent words in the world will not bring Anita back to her family or bring an end to the grief they have suffered," she testified. "I suffer deep pain for knowing I had a part in her leaving this world."

Hunt was taken into custody immediately after the hearing. A hearing on possible financial restitution has been set for Aug. 20.

Hunt automatically will have her driver's license revoked for two years because of the conviction, the Illinois Secretary of State's office has said.

In a brief news conference after the hearing, Assistant State's Attorney Mike Mermel said it was important for Lake County prosecutors not to treat Zaffke's death as "just another traffic accident, as some other counties are bound to do."

Afterward, Greg Zaffke II called the sentence appropriate.

"We appreciate the judge's acknowledgment of the seriousness of distracted driving," he told the gathered media. "Please think and drive."

• Daily Herald Staff Writer Kristina Hauptmann contributed to this report.

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