Driver accused of painting nails in fatal crash pleads not guilty

A woman accused of killing a motorcyclist during an accident in which she was painting her nails while driving pleaded not guilty Thursday in Lake County Circuit Court.

Lora L. Hunt, 48, faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison if convicted, but would also be eligible for probation.

Hunt's vehicle struck and killed Anita Zaffke, 56, of Lake Zurich, on May 2 after Zaffke stopped for a traffic signal at Rand and Old McHenry roads near Lake Zurich.

The crash has sparked an emotional outcry from motorcyclists about the dangers of distracted driving. About 25 motorcyclists were in Circuit Judge Fred Foreman's courtroom for the arraignment.

Hunt's attorney, Jeffrey Tomczak, said his client also has had an emotional reaction to the tragedy.

"In my 25 years of practice, I have never met a person who has suffered worse than Lora Hunt," Tomczak said. "She is truly sorry, very remorseful and prays everyday for the victim and her family."

Greg Zaffke, the victim's son, said he and others in attendance wanted to raise public awareness of what he called the "pandemic" of distracted driving.

"Distracted driving is not just a threat to motorcyclists; it is a threat to pedestrians, bicyclists and other drivers," Zaffke said. "We expected a long and drawn-out process in this prosecution, but we intend to dig our heels in and have our voices heard."

Police said Hunt, of Morris, was applying nail polish as she drove at about 50 mph toward the intersection where Zaffke was struck. Nail polish was found splattered on the interior of the car.

Outside the courtroom, a handful of motorcyclists stood in a steady rain holding signs saying, "Distracted Drivers Should Pay", and "Justice for Anita".

Sydney Wiley said she was there to support the Zaffke family, but also to raise awareness.

"The statistics for accidents created by distracted driving are staggering," said Wiley of Morton Grove. "The problem is especially bad for teens. Teeth need to be put into the penalties and enforcement of these situations."

The group of bikers gathered in Wauconda early Thursday morning and rode to the courthouse. About 10 of them circled the courthouse twice before parking their bikes.

Toxicology tests revealed drugs or alcohol did not play a role in the crash. They are factors in nearly all cases where reckless homicide is charged, officials said.

Assistant State's Attorney Michael Mermel said the charges were appropriate because Hunt's decision to paint her nails while driving went beyond a temporary distraction into conscious recklessness.

Tomczak said he was unaware of any other cases where reckless homicide has been charged in circumstances similar to Hunt's case.

Hunt, who is free after posting $10,000 for bond, is due to appear in court Nov. 30.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <!-- Start of Brightcove Player --> <div style="display:none"> </div> <!-- By use of this code snippet, I agree to the Brightcove Publisher T and C found at http://corp.brightcove.com/legal/terms_publisher.cfm. --> <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js"></script> <object id="myExperience44134657001" class="BrightcoveExperience"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> <param name="width" value="300" /> <param name="height" value="255" /> <param name="playerID" value="18011347001" /> <param name="publisherID" value="1659832549"/> <param name="isVid" value="true" /> <param name="@videoPlayer" value="44134657001" /> </object> <!-- End of Brightcove Player --> </ul> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=322222">Driver accused of painting nails in fatal wreck surrenders <span class="date">[09/17/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=321969">Charges for woman who police say fatally struck biker while doing nails <span class="date">[09/16/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298760">Traffic ticket dismissed as probe into fatal crash continues <span class="date">[06/05/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=291185">Lake Zurich nail-painting crash that killed motorcyclist ruled accidental <span class="date">[05/05/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=290935">Motorcyclist fatally struck by car; cops say other driver painting nails <span class="date">[05/03/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>