On Thursday, January 12, 2023, at approximately 6:14 a.m., a six-vehicle collision involving two commercial vehicles occurred on eastbound Interstate 10 near Chandler Boulevard (milepost 160.4). At the time of the collision, Interstate 10 was closed at Wild Horse Pass Boulevard due to an earlier crash involving multiple semi-trucks.
The driver of the at-fault tractor-trailer, identified as 36-year-old Danny G. Tiner, said he received a message on his electronic work tablet and acknowledged the message. Tiner said when he looked back up traffic was stopped, and he could not stop his vehicle in time to avoid a collision. Five people died as a result of the crash. Immediately following the collision, troopers suspected driver distraction as a possible factor in the collision.
The investigation revealed Tiner was traveling 68 mph in the posted 55-mph construction zone and was actively using the TikTok application on his cell phone at the time of the collision.
Tiner was notified of an investigation and turned his cell phone over to law enforcement. Investigators conducted a forensic examination of Tiner’s cell phone with assistance from the FBI.
Based upon the results of the investigation, AZDPS troopers and detectives arrested Tiner at his residence on Thursday, June 29, 2023. Tiner was booked into jail on charges including:
- 5 counts of manslaughter, class 2 felony
- 4 counts of endangerment, class 6 felony
- 1 count of tampering with physical evidence, class 6 felony
