ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A head-on crash along Alaska's Seward Highway two years ago killed Robert and Donna Weiser. But this was more than just another tragic accident as one man is now on trial for murder, accused of watching a movie instead of the road.
If convicted, Jamie Petterson (search) faces at least 10 years in jail.
The ex-wife of Petterson's passenger at the time testified about a call she got within hours of the crash.
"He told me that him and Jamie were driving down the road and he was zoned out on the DVD … and the next thing he knew Jamie said, 'Oh —-,'" Marta Zoda, the prosecution's witness, testified.
Petterson denies he was watching the movie "Road Trip," which police found in a DVD player installed in the truck's dashboard. But his attorney says even if he was, it's not murder.
"I don't think we should at this point raise glancing at a DVD movie on a screen up to the level of say driving while intoxicated," said defense attorney Chuck Robinson.
What happened along the Alaskan highway is being watched around the country because in this age of multitasking behind the wheel, the case might redefine what murder could be. To convict, the jury must find that by watching a DVD while driving, Petterson showed an extreme indifference to the value of human life.
While it's not illegal in Alaska, at least 38 states have outlawed installing DVD players where they can be seen from the driver's seat.
Click on the video box near the top of this story to watch a report by FOX News' Dan Springer.
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