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PHOENIX (TCD) — Authorities allege a man was on TikTok while driving moments before he crashed his truck into other cars and caused a major collision that killed five people.
On Jan. 12 at approximately 6:15 a.m., a commercial truck hit five cars on eastbound Interstate 10 near the Chandler Boulevard offramp. The open-op trailer was “loaded with garbage,” and the Arizona Department of Public Safety said the driver “failed to stop for congested traffic, rear-ended two passenger vehicles, and wedged them into the back of a second commercial truck.”
That second commercial truck hit two other cars in front of it. The cars stuck between the two trucks caught fire, which spread to the two commercial trucks. Five people died and the at-fault driver suffered minor injuries.
AZFamily.com identified the five victims as Gilberto Franco, Ryan Gooding, Andrew Standifird, Willis Thompson, and Jerardo Vazquez.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety said the driver, Danny Tiner, told investigators at the time he got a message on his work tablet and “acknowledged the message.” Tiner allegedly said traffic had stopped by the time he looked up, and “he could not stop his vehicle in time to avoid a collision.”
Arizona State Troopers reportedly believed from the start of the investigation that distracted driving played a role in the crash.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Tiner was allegedly “actively using the TikTok application” when the crash occurred. He handed his phone over to authorities, who conducted a forensic examination.
Tiner was arrested at his home Thursday, June 29, on five counts of manslaughter, four counts of endangerment, and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
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