A truck driver for Mr. Bult's Inc. was sentenced to over two decades in prison for a deadly crash on I-10 in Arizona last year. Evidence showed he was speeding and using TikTok seconds before the collision that killed five people.
In a horrific case showing the dangers of distracted driving, a commercial truck driver in Arizona has been sentenced to over 22 years in prison for a crash that killed 5 people.
The incident occurred on January 12, 2023, on I-10 in Maricopa County, when 38-year-old Danny Glen Tiner, driving for Mr. Bult's Inc. (MBI), failed to slow down for stopped traffic in a construction zone.
[CLARIFICATION: A previously published image in connection with this story showed a Logiflex truck. We want to clarify that Logiflex was not involved in this incident. Their truck was legally stopped when struck by Tiner's vehicle, causing it to collide with other vehicles. Logiflex bears no responsibility for this tragic event.]
His GPS data showed he was driving 68 mph in a 55 mph construction zone, and digital forensics revealed he had "accessed" multiple TikTok videos in the seconds before the crash, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO).
"As a driver, you have an obligation to pay attention to the road. To choose to access social media while driving, placing the lives of others on the line, is reckless," said MACO Attorney Rachel Mitchell.
"Five families are living through the pain of losing a loved one," Mitchell added. "While the justice system can never relieve that pain, it can hold the person responsible accountable. We achieved that goal."
This tragic case hopefully bring to the attention of all drivers, especially those operating large commercial vehicles, to remain fully focused on the road and refrain from dangerous distractions like social media. The severe sentence handed down sends a strong message about the consequences of such reckless behavior behind the wheel.
Though some feel the sentence is not strong enough:
Doing 68 in a 55mph construction zone watching TikTok. He got off light.https://t.co/E48iuHvc7v pic.twitter.com/rP7qBEWeXv
— SuperTrucker 🚛→💻🥷 (@supertrucker) August 19, 2024
Mr. Bult's Inc. (MC290960), the company Tiner was driving for at the time of the accident, is a commercial trucking company.
Source: CDLLIFE
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