Only a few weeks ago we were speculating on the wealth of distractions the modern motorist has to face. Phone calls, texting... even updating your Facebook status.

The latter is alleged to be the cause of a recent road accident in the Chicago area in which a woman has been accused of hitting a 70-year-old man as he stepped out of his car. The man died from his injuries.

The victim, Raymond Veloz, reportedly stepped out of his car having been involved in a minor road accident, only to be hit by the other driver, Araceli Beas. Veloz' daughter claims that Beas had updated her Facebook status at 7:54am via her cell phone, exactly the same time that Veloz had made a 911 call to report the minor accident.

Beas claims her vision was impaired by sunlight, a claim backed up by the other driver involved in the initial minor accident. It has not been made clear yet whether Veloz' and Beas' phones were both on the correct time and when exactly the Facebook status was sent.

Though the cause of the accident is as yet unconfirmed, it serves as a warning to the perils of excessive distractions from in-car technology. A lot can happen in a brief space of time, so taking your eyes off the road to look at any electronic device should be kept to an absolute minimum.

We offer our condolences to Veloz' family.

[CNET]