Federal investigators to examine deadly Phoenix tanker crash

Federal safety officials say they will investigate a crash in which authorities say a milk tanker going too fast collided with seven passenger vehicles on a Phoenix freeway, killing four people and injuring at least nine

PHOENIX -- Federal safety officials said Thursday they will investigate a crash in which authorities said a milk tanker going too fast collided with seven passenger vehicles on a Phoenix freeway, killing four people and injuring at least nine. The wreck occurred late Wednesday after the tanker “failed to slow for traffic congestion," the Arizona Department of Public Safety said in a statement. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending nine investigators to conduct a safety probe into the crash in cooperation with the Arizona public safety department. Among the issues that NTSB investigators will study is whether the crash could have been prevented if the tanker was equipped with electronic safety devices, board spokesman Chris O’Neil said. “Automatic emergency braking is definitely something we want to take a look at,” he said.