Officials say a semi truck driver was watching pornography on his phone moments before he rear-ended a pickup truck and trailer in Rogers, Minnesota, causing the trailer to break off and fatally strike a nearby construction worker.

According to the criminal complaint, on Oct. 2, 2018, Tate Ryan Doom of St. Paul was driving a semi truck in a construction zone on Interstate 94 when he rear-ended a pickup truck and trailer.

The impact caused the pickup truck and trailer to lose control and strike a parked car. The trailer then separated from the pickup truck and struck a member of the engineering crew on scene. The victim was found underneath the wreckage of the trailer and had sustained serious injuries to his head and torso. He died at the scene.

Another worker was injured by debris from the crash.

Upon investigation, officials learned that Doom was driving at approximately 72 mph, while the pickup truck was traveling at 50 mph. The speed limit in the area is 70 mph.

During an interview with police, Doom said he was driving 50 mph and that he wasn't on his phone at the time of the crash. However, police later learned Doom had downloaded 14 videos from the website Pornhub.com about 30 minutes before the crash.


By reviewing traffic cameras, officials determined that the crash happened at 2:09 p.m. Videos began playing on Doom's phone at 2:07 p.m.

Doom, 47, is charged with one count of criminal vehicular homicide and one count of criminal vehicular operation causing bodily harm.