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Report: Driver In Girls' Deaths Said She Was On Phone

POSTED: Thursday, April 14, 2005
UPDATED: 10:42 am EDT April 14, 2005

A Florida Highway Patrol report released Wednesday says a 22-year-old woman who was charged with hitting two sisters as they crossed an Orange County street with their mother told a trooper that she was on her cell phone at the time of the incident, according to a report.

Ashley Townsend was charged last month with two counts of vehicular homicide for the October crash on Goldenrod Road at the intersection of Bates Road.

Witnesses in past Local 6 News reports have said Townsend appeared to be talking on a cell phone when she ran over and killed Victoria Velez, 2, and Anelica Velez, 5.

The Orlando Sentinel reported that a newly released Florida Highway Patrol investigative report states, "(Townsend) was on the cell phone, realized the light was red, realized she was not going to make it and proceeded through the intersection."

"No reason was given for not stopping for the red light," according to the report.

The Orlando Sentinel report also said the documents showed Townsend gave an informal statement to a trooper and mentioned using her cell phone. Later, she decided not to give a formal statement before speaking to an attorney, according to the report.

Townsend's attorney Bill Barnett has continued to say Townsend was not on the cell phone at the time of the incident and has phone records to confirm she was not talking on the phone.

Barnett also told the Orlando Sentinel that it is possible the trooper might have misinterpreted Townsend at the crash scene.

Barnett has said he will vigorously fight the charges.

The latest report was included in discovery documents released Wednesday by Orange-Osceola State Attorney Lawson Lamar's office.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

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