A driver hit a pack of bicyclists and killed two. Her penalty? A suspended driver's license.

More than a year ago, a woman who was speeding accidentally plowed into a group of bicyclists, killing two of them. This week, she stood before a judge on a careless driving charge. Nicole Vanderweit, 34, pleaded no contest, has to pay court costs, go to a four-hour driving improvement class, and serve 120 hours of community service.

The group of bike riders from the Cycling Family Broward club were struck by Vanderweit’s 2012 Honda Fit, which sustained front-end damage, a shattered windshield and a collapsed roof in the morning crash on Nov. 25, 2018. She was headed east on State Road 84 in Davie and the crash happened just east of Interstate 75.

Rider Denise Marsh died about an hour after the crash. Rider Carlos Rodriguez had surgery at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale before he died. Five other people were hurt.

Records released by the State Attorney’s Office on Friday show that the police investigator did not believe sun glare to be a major factor. Police said Vanderweit, who had left her boyfriend’s house that morning, was driving 70 mph in a 55 mph zone just five seconds before the crash. She told authorities she didn’t see the group of 15 to 20 bicyclists who were traveling at nearly 20 mph and had looked down “for a second,” possibly to reach for her pack of cigarettes, when she felt the impact, according to records. Data from the airbag shows she was driving 66 mph at impact.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/davie/fl-ne-distracted-driver-courthouse-fine-20200117-6zdkg45r35hzpantq76btpxzxu-story.html