A New Jersey woman driving in Pennsylvania crossed into oncoming traffic and struck a motorcycle, killing two riders, after she became startled by a bug inside her vehicle, authorities said.
Bernadette Cobb, 55, was traveling east on a two-lane road in Luthersburg, roughly two hours northeast of Pittsburgh, at about 4:45 p.m. on Aug. 12 when an insect flew through her open window, NJ.com reported.
Cobb, a resident of Brick, told investigators she “freaked out” when she saw the insect and tried to swat it away, accidentally lowering her head in the process, according to a police affidavit.
As her attention shifted from the road, police said, Cobb’s vehicle began drifting across the center line and into the opposite lane.
A passenger in Cobb’s vehicle tried to take hold of the steering wheel and correct the car’s path, but the vehicle still collided with a 2013 Harley-Davidson, Pennsylvania State Police said.
The motorcycle’s operator, 34-year-old Anthony Sones, and his passenger, 30-year-old Miranda Wormuth, were both pronounced dead at the scene.
A GoFundMe launched by Wormuth’s family said Sones and Wormuth had been partners for 14 years.
Cobb was taken into custody at the crash scene and charged with multiple offenses, including homicide and involuntary manslaughter, according to the outlet. She has since posted $100,000 bail.
Cobb’s attorney Brian Manchester, told NJ.com that the crash was a “tragic accident.”
The lawyer also said that his client was cuffed before an accident reconstruction had examined the crash.
“We will defend her vigorously,” Manchester told the outlet.
