Video of fatal DPS crash released
Nov 5, 2013, 6:03 PM | Updated: 6:03 pm
PHOENIX — Video obtained by the Arizona Daily Star shows the moments just before a truck driver slammed into a Department of Public Safety vehicle, killing the officer inside.
The video shows Jorge Espinoza driving on Interstate 8 at about 65 mph while looking at his cell phone. It also shows the moment he struck the vehicle, killing DPS Officer Tim Huffman.
Espinoza, 33, initially told investigators he didn’t see the police cars because he was looking in his mirror at a passing truck, according to DPS. He also told authorities that he never uses his phone while driving because it’s against company policy.
But the DPS records show information taken from the phone shows Espinoza was using the internet at the time of the crash and was looking at “photographs of several women in provocative positions, wearing little clothing” and “photographs of a woman in a low cut dress.”
Espinoza used his phone to look at Facebook, YouTube, female escort web pages, porn sites and social networks on other occasions when he was logged in as driving, according to investigators.
Authorities said Huffman, 47, was in his patrol vehicle writing a report at the time. He was declared dead at the scene.
Espinoza, of Yuma, has pleaded not guilty to 20 felony charges including one count of second-degree murder, 13 of endangerment and six of criminal damage.
