DPS urges safe driving after 67 cited for filming fatal crash scene in Tucson

As Arizonans prepare to hit the road in massive numbers over Memorial Day weekend, authorities are urging drivers to stay alert, pointing to a recent crackdown on dangerous driving.

“I’ve pulled people over there watching movies on their phone, holding their phone right on top of their steering wheel,” Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesperson Sgt. Kameron Lee told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Wednesday.

One particularly egregious incident occurred recently when DPS troopers conducted a crackdown called “Phones Down Detail” on Interstate 10. Troopers issued 67 citations for drivers accused of filming the scene of a fatal crash in Tucson.

“Where’s the humanity in filming a fatal crash as you’re driving by?” Lee asked. “Why is that something that you want to see again? Or is it to post on social media for what purpose? Somebody lost their life here in this crash we’re talking about.”

Filming a crash scene is dangerous driving, DPS spokesman says

With all the modern technology out there, from Bluetooth headsets to Apple CarPlay, there’s no excuse to have your phone in your hand as you drive, Lee said.

“Getting to the distracted driving part, our troopers found a real issue here in this particular accident because it it was a long, drawn-out collision. There was a fire that was involved,” Lee said. “The lookie-loos really are what causes a lot of our traffic issues and often lead to what we call secondary crashes.”

Slowing down to film a fatal accident can exacerbate public safety issues, he added.

“We found through data that those secondary crashes many times end up worse than the first crash that started it in the first place,” Lee explained. “This is just one particular location at one particular crash scene. Unfortunately, we as troopers see it all the time.”

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