A truck driver who caused a deadly crash while using TikTok has been sentenced to 22.5 years in prison. Danny Glen Tiner, 36, was driving a tractor-trailer on Interstate 10 near Chandler, Arizona, on January 12, 2023, when he crashed into stopped traffic, killing five people.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office revealed that Tiner was speeding at 68 mph in a 55 mph zone and failed to stop his vehicle before the collision. The impact resulted in the deaths of Ryan Gooding, Andrew Standifird, Jerardo Vazquez, Willis Thompson, and Gilberto Franco. Although Tiner initially claimed he was using a work tablet, an FBI investigation determined that he was actively using TikTok at the time of the crash.
Tiner pleaded guilty to charges of negligent homicide in a plea agreement, and he was sentenced to 4.5 years for each count, with the sentences to be served consecutively. Each charge could carry up to eight years in prison.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell highlighted the severity of the case, stating, “As a driver, you have an obligation to pay attention to the road. Choosing to access social media while driving, endangering the lives of others, is a grave offense. Five families are enduring the loss of their loved ones.”
The crash occurred when Tiner’s truck rear-ended Andrew Standifird’s Ford F-250, which then collided with a Toyota Camry before becoming trapped under another semi-truck. The victims included Standifird and three of his colleagues in the Ford, as well as Gooding, who was driving the Camry.
Sarah Standifird, Andrew’s mother, spoke about the painful aftermath, saying, “My son died on impact, but he burned. I didn’t have a proper burial. I have ashes. And I had to identify him with his dental records. That was very hard.”
Nikki Johnson, Gooding’s fiancée, described her anguish when she realized something was wrong after he failed to arrive at work. She recounted, “I just kept waiting to hear the garage door, never heard it, and that’s when the trooper showed up; his face, I could just tell it wasn’t good news.”