BURLINGTON, Vt. -
More than a year after police say Emma Vieira, 19 of Colchester, hit a woman in Colchester, Vermont, she sat and listened Tuesday as prosecutors played audio from the teen shortly after the accident.
"I was just looking straight. I could've been paying better attention. I was just kind of driving," said Vieira.
"Ok, what were you doing that you could've been paying better attention," said a Colchester police officer.
"Not thinking, like I mean I was just kind of in thought," said Vieira.
Hearing that, Colchester police pressed Vieira more about why she wasn't focused on the road.
"Emma were you talking on a cell phone or texting, while you were driving? No, ok," said a Colchester police officer.
But prosecutors say she was and tried to hide those messages from police.
"Between the time she called 911 and the time she gave her cell phone to the police officer, at her request, that she erased all her text messages on her phone," said prosecutor Paul Finnerty.
Vieira's attorney's don't deny she was texting, but it wasn't the reason why they say she hit Deborah Drewniak and killed her dog.
"This accident happened because of poor visibility, created by poor wardrobe choice and poor judgment," said Drewniak.
Drewniak was in the courtroom and tells us this incident has changed her life.
"I'm dependent on everybody, for everything," said Drewniak.
But Drewniak hopes some good comes out of her tragedy.
"That they put their phones away and that they don't talk on their phones and that they don't text and drive."
Drewniak is expected to be called to the stand Wednesday morning before the state rests its case. Prosecutors say the trial should last through the end of the week.
If convicted, Vieira faces 15 years in prison.
