After investigating, state troopers found Tiner was driving 68mph in a 55mph-zone, according to the release. He was ‘actively using’ TikTok on his phone during the crash, officials said. — AP
A semi-truck driver has been arrested more than six months after a fiery crash that left five people dead, Arizona officials say.
The driver Danny G. Tiner, 36, has been charged with: five counts of manslaughter, four counts of endangerment and one count of tampering with evidence, according to a June 29 news release from the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
At 6.15am Jan 12, a truck driver identified as Tiner rear ended five cars on Interstate 10, according to the release.
The driver didn’t stop for traffic and rear-ended two cars, wedging them into the back of a second semi-truck, officials said. The truck was pushed forward into another two cars.
Two of the cars were “crushed between the semi-trucks” and “burst into flames,” officials said.
Five people in the two cars involved in the crash died, the release said. Those killed were Ryan Gooding, Andrew Standifird, Jerardo Vazquez, Willis Thompson and Gilberto Franco, according to a previous news release.
Tiner, told officials he received a message on his “work tablet” and looked down to view it, according to the June 29 release. By the time he looked up, it was too late to stop the truck and avoid the time of the crash, he told investigators.
After investigating, state troopers found Tiner was driving 68mph in a 55mph-zone, according to the release. He was “actively using” TikTok on his phone during the crash, officials said.
Tiner was arrested at his home on June 29 and booked into jail.
Chandler is about 25 miles southeast of Phoenix. – The Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service
