An Arizona mother’s attempt to break up the commotion in the backseat led to a car crash that killed two of her children.
The mother, 36, was driving a pickup truck along a hectic East Valley highway when tragedy struck Wednesday morning.
Bart Graves, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Safety, said this AZFamily: ‘She may have been distracted by what was happening in the vehicle at the time of the accident.
“As I understand it, it was children playing loudly, rough-and-tumble in the backseat, or something else that distracted her from the road, from what she told us.”
About 10:15 a.m., the woman crashed her truck into a tow truck on the side of the road at a “significant speed,” Graves said.
A mother driving a pickup truck (pictured) down an Arizona highway crashed into a tow truck
An 11-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy who were in the truck were pronounced dead at the scene.
A 6-year-old boy was also in the car at the time of the accident, who suffered minor injuries. The mother was also hospitalized.
Graves told AZFamily, “Suffice it to say, the force of the impact was so great that not only did it break off the right side of the pickup truck they were riding in, but the force of the impact killed them instantly.
“They didn’t have a chance, and it’s very sad.”
The tow truck driver was not injured in the accident.
The crash closed 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 was impaired while driving, Graves said.
The crash occurred in the westbound lanes of the Loop 202 freeway near McKellips Road (photo)
The pickup driver will not face criminal charges but could potentially be charged with a misdemeanor charge of distracted driving, DPS said.
‘Take it easy, pay attention. Don’t get distracted by things in your car if you have kids,” Graves advised. ‘Stay away from your cell phone. In any case, do not drive disturbed or tired.’
This incident comes two weeks after two Colorado brothers were left fighting for their lives following a near-fatal car accident.
A father, Jeremy Robinson, was driving his sons to school when a truck struck his vehicle, ejecting 5-year-old Blake. He was then hit by another car.
Brody, 6, also suffered horrific injuries, including a skull fracture.
Five- and six-year-old brothers Blake (left) and Brody Robinson (right) from Colorado fought for their lives after failing to wear their seat belts in a near-fatal car crash
Both boys were rushed to hospital and required extensive care. The boys were put on ventilators for hours.
Police said they do not believe they were wearing seat belts during the crash. Their mother, Brittany, said they wore them when they left the house.
After undergoing operations, the boys are back home and recovering, A said GoFundMe page.