An Arizona mother’s attempt to end the commotion in the back seat led to a car accident that left two of her children dead.
The 36-year-old mother was driving a pickup truck on a busy East Valley highway when tragedy struck Wednesday morning.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves said AZFamily: ‘You may have been distracted by what was happening in the vehicle at the time of the accident.
“From what I understand, it was kids playing loudly, fighting in the back seat, or something like that that distracted her from the road, which she told us.”
Around 10:15 a.m., the woman crashed her truck into a tow truck parked on the side of the road at a “significant speed,” Graves said.
A mother driving a pickup truck (pictured) on an Arizona highway crashed into a tow truck
An 11-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy who were inside the truck were pronounced dead at the scene.
A 6-year-old child was also in the vehicle when the accident occurred and suffered minor injuries. The mother was also hospitalized.
Graves told AZFamily: ‘Suffice it to say that the force of the impact was such that not only did it sever the right side of the van they were traveling in, but they died instantly from the force of the impact.
“They didn’t have a chance and it’s very sad.”
The tow truck driver was not injured after 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.
Officers did not believe the mother was intoxicated while driving, Graves said.
The crash occurred in the westbound lanes of Loop 202 near McKellips Road (pictured).
The driver of the pickup truck does not face any criminal charges, but could be charged with misdemeanor distracted driving, DPS said.
‘Slow down, pay attention. Don’t be distracted by things in your car if you have children,’ Graves advised. ‘Stay away from the cell phone. Of course, do not drive under the influence of alcohol or while fatigued.
This incident comes two weeks after two brothers from Colorado had to fight for their lives in a near-fatal car accident.
A father, Jeremy Robinson, was taking his children to school when a truck crashed into his vehicle, causing 5-year-old Blake to be expelled. He was then hit by another car.
Brody, 6, also suffered horrific injuries, including a fractured skull.
Five- and six-year-old brothers Blake (left) and Brody Robinson (right) from Colorado were fighting for their lives after failing to wear seat belts in a near-fatal car accident.
Both children were rushed to hospital and required intensive care. The children were on ventilators for several hours.
Police said they do not believe they were wearing seat belts during the crash. Their mother, Brittany, said they were wearing them when they left the house.
After undergoing surgeries, the children are back home and recovering, according to a GoFundMe page.
