Image via Law&Crime Network/YouTube
Bodycam footage recently released shows the aftermath of a six-car pileup caused by a commercial truck driver who was watching TikTok while traveling down the interstate. The crash, which killed five people, is a solemn reminder of the dangers of distracted driving, especially for anyone driving a large, heavy commercial vehicle.
See another distracted semi driver cause a huge crash.
The deadly crash happened back on January 12, 2023 on I-10 in Chandler, Arizona. It was early in the morning when Danny Glen Tiner was driving a tractor-trailer hauling garbage while watching TikTok videos. Yes, it sounds almost too dumb to be true, but it’s far from a joke considering what happened next.
According to investigators, Tiner was going 68 mph in a construction zone with a 55 mph speed limit when he smashed into traffic which was at a complete standstill. He didn’t see the stopped cars until the last split second because he was watching videos, his eyes completely off the road ahead.
Another semi-truck was in the stopped line of cars. That meant Tiner’s truck and the other worked like vice grips, crushing those vehicles between them, making the crash forces worse. Fires erupted and in the bodycam footage you can even hear an explosion. The scene is horrific.
Ultimately, Tiner pled guilty to five counts of negligent homicide. He was sentenced by a judge to 20 years in prison, which we think he got off lightly considering.
Driver distraction isn’t just annoying, it’s a dead phenomenon which needs to be curbed, if not eradicated. We don’t think just passing laws will do the trick. After all, in Arizona drivers aren’t allowed to watch videos on their phone or even hold it while driving, yet this deadly crash still happened.
Instead, we think a social movement to discourage distracted driving would be more effective. While some say shaming violators is the best way, we think that just encourages people to hide their acts instead of addressing a dangerous addiction.
How exactly this would be done is something open to discussion. But it’s clear some drivers, including commercial truckers, have a problem which needs to be addressed. Otherwise, more deadly crashes like this one will be the inevitable result.
Image via Law&Crime Network/YouTube
