According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving is one of the leading causes of auto accidents in the U.S. In 2017 the federal agency reports that 3,166 people were killed in accidents where the driver was distracted.
AZ Family reports that Glendale Police Department is trying to determine whether a recent accident involving a bus and a pickup truck on Wednesday, May 15 may have been caused by distracted driving.
Authorities say that the accident happened at approximately 3:00 p.m. in the area of 55th Avenue and Thunderbird Road when a pickup truck rear-ended a Phoenix city bus. The pickup truck, owned by the Phoenix-based Haydon Building Corporation, suffered a crushed front end. Firefighters arrived on the scene to extricate the driver of the pickup.
The driver of the pickup truck was transported to an area hospital for treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities have not released his identity or current condition. Several passengers on the city bus were reported to have suffered minor injuries in the collision. A heavy-duty tow truck was required to move the city bus that also suffered significant damage to the diesel engine compartment.
Impairment by alcohol or drugs does not appear to have been a factor in the crash. However, a spokesperson for the Glendale Police Department said in a statement that distracted driving may have played a role in the accident.
