Harrisburg woman allegedly using Snapchat during fatal hit and run that killed teen

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) -- A Harrisburg woman was allegedly on her phone when she fatally struck a teenage boy in a hit-and-run in Lancaster County last year, police say. Mikayla Mustard, 24, faces felony charges of homicide by vehicle and accidents involving death or personal injury. She also faces misdemeanor charges of involuntary manslaughter and recklessly endangering another person, along with summary charges, court records show. The criminal complaint filed Wednesday in Magisterial District Court Torrey Landis's Office details the investigation by Northern Lancaster County Regional Police. Officers found 16-year-old Curtis Groff dead in a cemetery along the 200 block of West Sun Hill Road in Penn Township on May 2, 2024, around 9:30 p.m. The complaint shows Groff had injuries that appeared to have come from being hit by a vehicle. Police said they learned that Groff was weed-whacking when he was struck. No vehicle was at the scene, but police said there was evidence that Groff was struck like scrapes on the road, tire tracks through the grass, and debris from a vehicle. The complaint states that Mustard later showed up at the scene after being driven by a relative, and she told police she might have hit a deer or rock, and drove back to Harrisburg after the crash. By looking at data from Mustard's phone, police said they saw she was using Snapchat right before and after the crash. The complaint shows Mustard sent Snapchats regarding blood on her vehicle and that she might go to jail if she hurt someone. "The driving actions of Mikayla Mustard were determined to be the primary cause of the collision," the charging officer said in the complaint. "Specifically, regarding driving actions, the defendant traveling westbound on West Sun Hill Road, Penn Township, while attempting to read a message she received, which caused her to leave her lane of travel and the roadway. The defendant's vehicle then struck Curtis Groff, who had been weed whacking the grass and standing off the roadway, causing his death." Mustard is scheduled to be arraigned Friday morning, court records show.