Truck driver distracted by TikTok sentenced to 22 years after killing 5 in crash

A truck driver in Arizona killed five people after he caused a car accident by looking at TikTok. The driver has since pleaded guilty and will serve over two decades in prison.

On January 12, 2023, commercial tractor-trailer truck driver Danny Tiner, 38, was “actively using the TikTok application” when he caused a six-vehicle crash.

The accident occurred on Interstate 10 in Chandler, Arizona. While Tiner survived, five others were killed at the scene from the pileup, which sandwiched two cars between another semi-truck.

Tiner was arrested in June of that same year for being the cause of the crash. Facing five counts of negligent homicide, the truck driver pleaded guilty.

On Monday, August 19, 2024, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced that Tiner was given a 22-and-a-half-year prison sentence. However, he will receive a 415-day bereavement for the time he has already spent in jail.

During the time of the accident, the truck driver was speeding upwards of 68MPH in a 55MPH construction zone.  

Officials said that Tiner admitted he had received a notification on his tablet. When he looked back up from checking his electronic device, he was unable to stop his vehicle quickly enough to avoid a collision.

At the time of his 2023 arrest, the truck driver was booked with a $300,000 bond. Initially, he faced five counts of manslaughter, four counts of endangerment, and one count of tampering with physical evidence.

“As a driver, you have an obligation to pay attention to the road,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a statement.

“To choose to access social media while driving, placing the lives of others on the line, is reckless.

“Five families are living through the pain of losing a loved one. While the justice system can never relieve that pain, it can hold the person responsible accountable. We achieved that goal.”

Families of those who died in the accident were present at Tiner’s sentencing and commented on the deaths of their loved ones.

“Nobody survived in that car. Nobody. Four people passed away and there was a car in front of it, and they passed away,” said Sarah Standifird, mother of 28-year-old victim Andrew Standifird.

TikToker Dan Hamer was also involved in a car accident earlier this year. While the crash wasn’t caused by looking at social media, the content creator had to have his jaw wired shut to heal from his injuries. 

An Instagram model from Florida is also facing charges after allegedly causing a fatal car crash. The model claimed that she was on “pink cocaine” and was “from the future” at the time of her arrest.