Authorities in Minnesota say a truck driver has been arrested on suspicion of causing a fatal collision while he was distracted behind the wheel by the pornographic material he was viewing.
According to Fox News, 47-year-old Tate R. Doom is accused of barreling through a construction area in October, crashing into a worker and killing him.
Doom was allegedly traveling slightly faster than the posted 70 mph limit when he struck the pickup truck traveling about 20 mph slower, as reported by the Star Tribune.
The incident occurred on Interstate 94 as 59-year-old Vernon C. Hedquist worked alongside a highway crew. Doom allegedly slammed his semi truck into a trailer being towed by a pickup truck. In addition to killing Hedquist, debris from the crash also struck another worker causing injuries that were not life threatening.
In a statement announcing charges including vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation, Hennepin County Attorney’s Office spokesperson Chuck Laszewski said the investigation indicates the suspect “was watching pornography at the time” he struck the victim.
As of the most recent updates available, Doom had been arrested and booked into jail, where he remained behind bars with bail set at $30,000.
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[Featured image: Tate Doom, Hennepin County Jail]
