Truck driver who killed five people while distracted by TikTok sentenced to over 22 years in prison
Danny Glen Tiner was sentenced on August 16 after causing a fatal six-vehicle crash in Arizona in January 2023
Arizona Department of Public Safety
Danny Glen Tiner
A truck driver was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for killing five people in Arizona after watching TikTok videos while driving.
On Friday, August 16, 38-year-old Danny Glen Tiner began his prison sentence after being charged with five counts of involuntary manslaughter, the Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office (MCAO) confirmed in documents released in an August 19 press release. He received a prison sentence of 4.5 years for each victim he killed.
On January 12, 2023, Tiner caused a six-vehicle crash while driving a semi-trailer truck eastbound on Interstate 10 near Wildhorse Pass Boulevard in Chandler.
He was arrested at his home on June 29, 2023. He is charged with five counts of manslaughter, four counts of endangerment and one count of tampering with evidence, among other charges, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) said in a press release.
In June 2024, he pleaded guilty to five counts of involuntary manslaughter. An incident report released by the AZDPS confirmed that the victims were Ryan Gooding, Andrew Standifird, Jerardo Vazquez, Willis Thompson and Gilberto Franco.
Arizona Department of Public Safety
Five people died in the crash in Arizona on January 12, 2023
“GPS data showed that Tiner’s truck was traveling at 68 miles per hour in a construction zone where the speed limit is 55 miles per hour. After failing to yield to stopped traffic, the defendant caused a collision involving six vehicles. Several of the vehicles, including two semi-trailers, caught fire. Five people died at the scene,” the MCAO press release said.
“Digital forensic data showed that Tiner accessed at least four separate TikTok videos while driving and within seconds of the collision,” it said.
“As a driver, you have a duty to pay attention to the road. Choosing to access social media while driving and putting the lives of others at risk is reckless,” said Maricopa County District Attorney Rachel Mitchell, who announced the verdict, according to the press release.
“Five families are going through the pain of losing a loved one. While the legal system can never ease that pain, it can hold those responsible to account. We have achieved that goal,” Mitchell added.
Want to stay up to date with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter to get breaking crime news, ongoing court coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
According to the AZDPS press release, “police initially suspected that the driver’s distraction was a possible factor in the collision.”
“This is the first case in the history of the AZDPS where a driver has been convicted of causing a fatal accident while distracted by a social media application,” the AZDPS added.
“The officers and our law enforcement partners worked tirelessly to ensure a thorough investigation for the victims and their families,” AZDPS Sergeant Smith said, according to the press release.
“This tragedy could have been completely prevented. Don’t risk lives – put your phone away and concentrate fully on driving,” Smith added.
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive more People news!
Read the original article on People.
