GOP lawmakers in Washington recently blocked some truck driver fatigue rules, and safety advocates feel that bold move may be just the beginning.
Previously, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued rules that require truckers to take at least two consecutive nights off if they work more than 75 hours in any one week, and also requiring that at least part of that rest period be between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. But Congressional Republicans added a provision to a must-pass spending bill that prevents these rules from going into effect. Furthermore, with the GOP in control of the presidency and both houses of Congress beginning in January, shipping industry lobbyists plan to push legislation allowing large trucks to be longer and heavier than ever before. While some advocates, like Joan Claybrook, feel that shipping companies “don’t care about safety no matter what they say,” both truckers and owners have consistently fought such regulations, saying they are intrusive and may stifle innovation in the area of driverless trucks. [Read more…] about Republicans Eye Trucker Deregulation
Negligence
Distracted Driver Kills Teenager
Even though she was properly restrained, a 14-year-old girl is dead after a tortfeasor (negligent driver) ran off the road and smashed into a tree.
The wreck occurred on westbound Louisiana Route 422 near the intersection of Louisiana Route 19. According to police, 24-year-old Shannon Sessions “became distracted by a bug that flew into her vehicle.” She then drove her Jeep Wrangler off the road, and it plummeted down a steep embankment before crashing into a tree and overturning. Backseat passenger 14-year-old Emily Sessions, of Woodville, Miss., was declared dead at the scene; Shannon Sessions and a frontseat passenger were both seriously injured. [Read more…] about Distracted Driver Kills Teenager
I-10 Crash Kills Good Samaritan And Seriously Injures Driver
A runaway tractor-trailer killed a bystander as he tried to help a stranded motorist re-attach a U-Haul trailer to her vehicle.
According to Louisiana State Police, the large truck wreck occurred on westbound Interstate 10 in Henderson. As 26-year-old Tanika Adams, of Jacksonville, Fla., pulled a trailer with her Volkswagen Tiguan, it came loose and blocked the outside lane. Ms. Adams pulled to the shoulder and then tried to pull the stranded trailer out of the traffic lane; a short time thereafter, 25-year-old Vineeth Keesara, of Lafayette, stopped and rendered assistance. A few moments later, an oncoming Perterbilt tractor-trailer slammed into the disabled trailer, instantly killing Mr. Keesara and seriously injuring Ms. Adams. [Read more…] about I-10 Crash Kills Good Samaritan And Seriously Injures Driver
Bus Driver Faces Multiple Charges After LaPlace Wreck
The man who allegedly caused three deaths in a bus crash in August of this year has been indicted on three separate counts of negligent homicide.
37-year-old Denis Yasmir Amaya-Rodriguez, a Honduran national, did not have a valid license when he allegedly lost control of a tour bus carrying workers to flood-damaged areas of Baton Rouge. Both at the scene and in subsequent interviews, Mr. Rodriguez claimed the brakes failed moments before he slammed into a St. John Fire District truck that was responding to the scene of an earlier collision. Three people were killed in the bus crash, including 36-year-old Fire Chief Spencer Chauvin. Mr. Rodriguez, who had a history of traffic infractions, claimed that the bus’ owner, Christian Lombardo of Kristina’s Transportation LLC, knew that he did not have a valid license. “I even told him, ‘I don’t want to drive because I don’t have a license to drive these large vehicles here,'” he recalled saying. The company did not inspect the bus before the trip, Mr. Rodriguez added.
In addition to the three deaths, more than two dozen people were injured in the incident. [Read more…] about Bus Driver Faces Multiple Charges After LaPlace Wreck
High-Speed, Non-Crosswalk Wreck Seriously Injures Pedestrian
An unidentified female is clinging to life at a local hospital after a pedestrian-auto crash in Lafayette.
According to police, an oncoming car hit the victim in the 2400 block of Johnson Street. She was immediately transported to a local hospital with unspecified injuries that were described only as severe. Authorities shut down Johnson Street and the surrounding area for several hours while they conducted an intensive investigation.
No charges are pending against the driver, whose name was not released, at this time. [Read more…] about High-Speed, Non-Crosswalk Wreck Seriously Injures Pedestrian
Deadly Pedestrian Crash in Eastern Louisiana
A 22-year-old woman faces negligent homicide charges after a fatal pedestrian-auto crash in West Feliciana Parish.
Sherriff’s deputies state that Tiffany Cage was on Solitude Road near the Heir Road intersection when she hit 59-year-old James White, who was walking near the Solitude Road shoulder. He was pronounced dead at the scene; Ms. Cage was not injured. No other details were available.
Mr. White represented District 3 on the West Feliciana Parish School Board. [Read more…] about Deadly Pedestrian Crash in Eastern Louisiana