‘Peculiar twist’ in Tuesday morning crash call in Kansas

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A crash call in Kansas on Tuesday led to a “peculiar twist,” Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Ben Gardner says.

At 5 a.m., troopers were alerted to a crash on Interstate 70 near Salina. Trooper Ben says as first responders headed to the area they found a vehicle with its hazard lights flashing.

The troopers learned that the vehicle’s occupants left their cell phone on the roof of their car, and as they drove off, the iPhone 15 blew off, skittered down the highway, and triggered an automatic alert, indicating a crash.

Newer iPhone and Apple Watch devices include updated sensors that can detect sudden changes in motion to automatically contact emergency services if they believe the user was involved in a car crash. If the user does not respond within 20 seconds, the phone or watch will automatically notify 911. Dispatchers will learn there was a crash, the person is unresponsive, and the location.

To learn about crash detection on Apple devices, click here.