Two children have died in a car crash after their mom tried to break up a fight in the car while driving, according to authorities.
The deadly crash unfolded on Wednesday morning when the mom was driving a pickup truck along a busy East Valley freeway in Arizona, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said.
Spokesperson Bart Graves told Arizona Family that investigators believe the 36-year-old was distracted by her kids – a nine-year-old boy, 11-year-old girl and a six-year-old – “roughhousing, or some kind of thing” in the backseat.
“She may have been distracted by what was going on in the vehicle at the time of the crash,” he said. “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.”
The pickup truck then slammed into a stationary tow truck on the shoulder of the freeway at a “significant rate of speed”, he said.
The nine-year-old and 11-year-old died instantly. “They didn’t have a chance, and it’s very sad,” Graves said.
The six-year-old suffered minor injuries while the mom was hospitalized.
Investigators do not believe the mother was under the influence at the time of the crash, Arizona Family reported.
She is not currently facing any charges but DPS said she could be charged with misdemeanor distracted driving.
Graves urged drivers to stay aware of their surroundings on the roads.
“Slow down, pay attention. Do not get distracted by things in your car if you have kids,” Graves said. “Stay off the cell phone. By all means, do not drive impaired or fatigued.”
