Lorry driver jailed for killing five in crash while watching TikTok
The crash caused a fiery six-vehicle pile-up.
- Published
A lorry driver has been jailed for 22-and-a-half years in Arizona for killing five people in a crash he caused while watching TikTok videos.
Danny Tiner, 38, admitted five counts of manslaughter for the January 2023 crash southeast of Phoenix, and was sentenced on Monday.
Forensic data showed Tiner was using TikTok on his phone and speeding as he hit multiple vehicles and caused a fiery six-vehicle pile-up.
Rachel Mitchell, Maricopa County attorney, said that Tiner's "reckless" actions had destroyed lives and put five families through the pain of losing their loved ones.
Danny Tiner
"While the justice system can never relieve that pain, it can hold the person responsible accountable. We achieved that goal," she said in a statement.
The victims were Andrew Standifird, Gilberto Franco, Willis Thompson, Ryan Gooding and Gerardo Vazquez.
It is the first case in the state in which a driver has been convicted of causing a fatal collision while using social media, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said.
The department found that Tiner was travelling 68 mph (109 km/h) in a 55mph zone on Interstate 10 in Chandler, while driving an open-top container lorry filled with rubbish.
Maricopa County district attorney's office said that Tiner had watched at least four TikTok videos while driving.
Tiner was arrested at his home last June and faced five counts of manslaughter, four counts of endangerment and one count of tampering with evidence.
The department said: "This tragedy was entirely preventable. Don't risk lives - put your phone away and give driving your full attention."