Nearly all common-law crimes contains both mental and physical elements. To fulfill the legal definition of a crime, multiple elements of the defining statute must be proved, though there are differences between different types of crimes.
On a rainy, low-visibility afternoon, a young male driving five miles per hour over the posted speed limit on a highway in New York rear-ended another vehicle. The car that was hit spun out of control and smashed into a guardrail, resulting in the driver being killed.
Let's review a few concepts before you make a decision about this scene.
What is the legal concept of mens rea?