Connecticut driver distracted by her Mercedes screen killed a motorcyclist. She please guilty but will not be going to prison

Anngelina Morton will not go to prison for a fatal motorcycle crash that killed 31-year-old Justin Gittings in Farmington, Connecticut. Morton was 18 when she looked at her Mercedes-Benz’s infotainment screen, crossed into oncoming traffic and hit two motorcycles. The crash happened on Aug. 20, 2024, and left two other people injured.

According to Guessing Headlights, Hartford Superior Court Judge Moira Buckley sentenced Morton on Oct. 15 to 10 years in prison, suspended, followed by five years of probation. She is also expected to complete community service and take part in public advocacy under the conditions of her sentence.

Morton had turned 18 just five days before the crash. She was driving a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 4Matic southbound on Waterville Road, also known as Route 10, when she looked at the SUV’s center display after receiving a notification.

She changed her plea to guilty

The North Central Regional Accident Reconstruction Squad investigated the crash and found that the Mercedes crossed the double yellow centerline. Police data showed the SUV traveled more than four feet into the opposite lane and remained there for at least five seconds before striking the motorcycles.

Gittings, a truck driver from Meriden, suffered severe injuries to his head and lower body. He was airlifted to Hartford Hospital aboard a LIFE STAR helicopter, but his condition did not improve enough for him to recover. After spending 34 days in the hospital, he died on Sept. 23, 2024.

The two people on the second motorcycle were also hurt. Both have had to deal with the physical and psychological effects of the collision. Police arrested Morton in March 2025 after investigating the crash. She initially pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter, assault and reckless driving charges. In September 2026, she changed her plea to guilty.

At the sentencing hearing, 17 people delivered victim impact statements about Gittings and the loss his death caused. Prosecutors argued for prison time, but Judge Buckley considered how young Morton was when the crash happened. She ultimately suspended the 10-year prison term and ordered five years of probation.

The sentence means Morton can remain out of prison as long as she follows the court’s conditions. The suspended term could still become relevant if she violates those requirements. The criminal case is not the only legal matter connected to the crash. Gittings’ estate has filed civil lawsuits against Morton and Tammi Morton, the owner of the Mercedes.

The case has drawn attentions

The complaints allege that Morton had previously signed a family agreement promising not to use her phone while driving. They also claim she was interacting with a phone connected to the Mercedes’ hands-free system shortly before crossing the centerline.

The case has also drawn attention to the distractions built into modern vehicles. Infotainment screens can put navigation and phone functions within easy reach, but drivers still have to take their eyes off the road to use them. Investigators concluded that Morton looked at the Mercedes’ display before the fatal collision.