Paso Robles teen charged with misdemeanor in bicyclist's death

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office filed a single misdemeanor charge of vehicular manslaughter on Wednesday against an 18-year-old Paso Robles man accused of killing a bicyclist and severely injuring another in November.

At about 3:10 p.m. Nov. 28, a 2005 GMC Yukon driven by Joseph A. Mondo allegedly struck and killed Los Angeles resident Lee Hekyung Craig, 62, as she rode west on Nacimiento Lake Drive east of Adelaida Road.

Craig's companion, Lawrence Chong, 59, of Seal Beach, was taken to the hospital with major injuries.

CHP officials said following the crash that Mondo was traveling at about 60 mph when he was his cellphone slid off his lap and onto the floor. As he reached for it, he nearly missed a car stopped ahead of him making a left-hand turn, swerving onto the right shoulder before returning to the road, according to the CHP.

Mondo struck the bicyclists as he reached for the phone a second time, according to the CHP.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Jerret Gran said Wednesday that prosecutors are not alleging that Mondo was using the phone but that he was simply negligent in causing the crash.

If convicted he could face up to a year in San Luis Obispo County Jail, Gran said.

Mondo is not in custody and is scheduled to appear for an arraignment in San Luis Obispo Superior Court on Feb. 11.

This story was originally published January 28, 2015 at 12:40 PM with the headline "Paso Robles teen charged with misdemeanor in bicyclist's death."