State police say a young woman talking on her cell phone is the likely cause of last month's fatal crash on Interstate 295 in Cumberland.

Heather Bouchard, 24, of Yarmouth, was killed on April 15 when her car crossed the median and slammed head-on into a news van owned by WCSH television.

State Police Trooper Jeffrey Linscott said his investigation revealed that Bouchard called a client from the Spurwick Center, her employer, moments before the crash.

Records show that Bouchard began talking on her phone at 10:23 a.m. and the recipient said that after four or five minutes it appeared that Bouchard may have dropped her phone in the car. The phone call was disconnected and the other party immediately called back. That second call went to voicemail. The first 911 call about the crash was at 10:27 a.m.

Bouchard died from the injuries from the crash, which also injured Aaron Twombly and Susan Kimball, who were in the news van.

Linscott said Bouchard was not wearing her seat belt at the time of the crash, although her family told him she always wore it. The trooper speculated that Bouchard may have unbuckled her seatbelt to retrieve the cell phone and it was during that time that her car went out of control and crossed the median.

In the wake of the news, state police are reminding motorists to use hands-free technology when using a cell phone while driving, or to pull their vehicle over to complete a call. Maine law prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from using a cell phone while driving.