Banned: Driver Who Crashed Truck a Day After Failing Drug Test

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration declared Utah-licensed truck driver Eddie D. Price an imminent hazard, banning him from interstate driving after he crashed his truck a day after failing a pre-employment drug test.

On Sept. 9, Price completed a DOT-required pre-employment controlled substances test, which came back positive for methamphetamine on Sept. 13.

The day after the results of the drug test were confirmed, Price was driving a commercial vehicle in Utah and was involved in a crash with a pick-up truck. Both the driver and passenger of the pick-up were severely injured and airlifted to a Salt Lake City hospital.

Following the crash, Price's then-employer, Superior Service Transport, provided him with a list of substance abuse professionals and information on the federally required return-to-duty process for positive testing CDL holders. The process requires substance abuse professional evaluation and the completion of an education and/or treatment program.

But Price refused to complete the return-to-duty process, so Superior Service Transport terminated his employment.

On Oct. 4, Price informed his former employer that he had found another driving position and that he didn't intend to tell future employers about the positive test or include his former employer on employment applications.

As a result, the FMCSA declared Price an imminent hazard, ordering him out-of-service. If Price doesn't comply with the provisions of a federal imminent hazard out-of-service order, it could result in both civil and criminal penalties.

Related: FMCSA Halving Random Drug-Test Threshold

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Use of longer tractors to be included in National MoU

CVSA Targeting Unsafe Driving During Enforcement/Education Blitz

Law enforcement agencies throughout North America will engage in heightened traffic safety enforcement and education to combat unsafe driving behavior as part of CVSA's Operation Safe Driver Week, taking place Oct. 16-22, 2016.

Enforcement will target specific unsafe driver behaviors this year, including speeding, failure to use a seatbelt while operating or riding as a passenger in commercial vehicles, distracted driving, failure to obey traffic control devices, traveling too closely and improper lane changes.

Last year's Operation Safe Driver Week saw more than 21,000 vehicles pulled over and 19,480 inspections conducted. The most common warnings and citations issued to commercial vehicle drivers last year were for speeding, failure to use a seatbelt, failure to obey a traffic control device and using a handheld phone. Passenger-vehicle drivers were pulled over most often for speeding and were overall pulled over at a higher rate than commercial drivers.

Operation Safe Driver Week is sponsored by the CVSA in partnership with FMCSA and with support from industry and transportation safety organizations.

To find out more about enforcement events going on in your area, contact the agency/department responsible for overseeing commercial motor vehicle safety within your jurisdiction.

Related: Trucks Cited for Size/Weight During Safe Driver Week

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States Still Dealing With Hurricane Matthew Damages

Flooding in Dare County, N.C. Photo: NCDOT

Hurricane Matthew may be little more than scattered clouds in the Atlantic Ocean at this point, but it left behind damage to highways and other property that could a lot of time and money to clean up.

The storm hit the Southeastern U.S. hard, slamming into Florida as a category 3 storm and dragging along the coast as far north as Virginia before moving out to sea. While the wind and flooding have subsided, state transportation departments are only now fully accessing the damages.

As of Oct. 14, the U.S. death toll from the storm has hit 42 people. Goldman Sachs estimates that when all is said and done, the storm may have caused up to $10 billion in damages, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

In North Carolina a section of southbound Interstate 95 has been washed out by floods and may take as many as three weeks to repair. Until then, NCDOT has diverted traffic to the northbound lanes, creating a two-lane highway detour. Interstate 40 has also been affected by flooding in a 7-mile section near Interstate 95.

The Florida coastal highway A1A may take as long as six months to a year to fix the damage caused by storm surges that washed away large sections of the road. The highway, which follows a thin strip of land adjacent to the main coast, is the primary route to many beaches and towns in the area.

In Virginia's Hampton Roads district, the Virginia Department of Transportation estimated its damages will top the $2 million mark, with at least 44 washed out roads, nine of which will require major repairs. A sinkhole that developed on Route 58 was still being assessed as road crews are waiting for the waters to recede.

Related: Parts of I-95 in ...Read the rest of this story

FMCSA: Utah trucker an ‘imminent hazard’ to public safety

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has declared Utah-licensed truck driver Eddie D. Price to be an imminent hazard to public safety and has ordered him not to operate any commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in interstate commerce. Price was served the federal order on Oct. 12, 2016, according to the agency.

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