iPhone crash detection critical in finding fatal wreck, Surprise Police say

SURPRISE, Ariz. – Surprise Police reported that an iPhone’s automated crash detection feature played a critical role in locating a fatal wreck in a remote area Monday morning.

What we know:

At 2:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 1, Surprise Police received an iPhone notification indicating a violent crash.

The phone’s location ping led officers to the scene around 211th Avenue and Sun Valley Parkway, where they found a car off the road and an ejected male who was deceased.

Surprise Police spokesman Christopher Thomas said that although the outcome was tragic—and potentially survivable had the driver been wearing a seatbelt—the technology quickly guided first responders to a location they “may not have found it as quickly as we did without the phone pinging,” as the vehicle was hidden behind brush.

Thomas stressed that the technology, which is on by default on iPhone 14 models and later, has successfully saved lives in other incidents and acts as a crucial safety net for owners.

Map of the area where the crash happened