An Arizona mother’s attempt to break up backseat commotion sparked a car crash that left two of her children dead.
The mother, 36, was driving a pickup truck down a hectic East Valley freeway when the tragedy struck on Wednesday morning.
Bart Graves, a Department of Public Safety spokesperson, told AZFamily: ‘She may have been distracted by what was going on in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
‘As I understand it, it was kids playing loudly, roughhousing in the backseat, or some kind of thing that distracted her from the road, from what she told us.’
Around 10.15 am, the woman crashed her truck into a tow truck pulled over on the side of the road at a ‘significant rate of speed,’ Graves said.
A mother driving a pickup truck (pictured) down an an Arizona freeway crashed into a tow truck
A girl, 11, and a boy, 9, who were inside the truck were declared dead at the scene.
Read More
Two toddlers in diapers seen in middle of highway after being thrown from car in crash
A boy, 6, was also in the vehicle when the accident occurred and suffered minor injuries. The mother was hospitalized as well.
Graves told AZFamily: ‘Suffice to say, the force of the impact was such that it not only sheared off the right side of this pickup truck where they were riding, but they were killed instantly by the force of this impact.
‘They didn’t have a chance, and it’s very sad.’
The tow truck driver did not sustain any injuries from the accident.
The crash shut down the westbound lanes of the Loop 202 freeway near McKellips Road, but they were reopened a few hours later, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Troopers did not believe the mother to be impaired while driving, Graves said.
The accident occurred on westbound lanes of the Loop 202 freeway near McKellips Road (pictured)
The pickup truck’s driver is not facing any criminal charges, but could potentially be charged with a misdemeanor for distracted driving, the DPS said.
‘Slow down, pay attention. Do not get distracted by things in your car if you have kids,’ Graves advised. ‘Stay off the cellphone. By all means, do not drive impaired or fatigued.’
This incident comes two weeks after two Colorado brothers were left fighting for their lives from a near-fatal car crash.
A father, Jeremy Robinson, was driving his sons to school when a truck hit his vehicle, causing Blake, 5, to be ejected. He was then hit by another car.
Brody, 6, also suffered from horrific injuries, including a skull fracture.
Five and six-year-old brothers, Blake (left) and Brody Robinson (right), from Colorado were fighting for their lives after not wearing their seatbelts in a near-fatal car accident
Both of the boys were rushed to the hospital and needed extensive care. The boys were placed on ventilators for several hours.
Police said they do not believe they were wearing seatbelts during the crash. Their mother, Brittany, said they were wearing them when they left the house.
After undergoing surgeries, the boys are back at home and recovering, according to a GoFundMe page.