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A fatal chain reaction on Interstate 70 was instigated by a semi-truck whose driver did not have the proper permits for his oversized load. When the burdened tractor trailer collided with a construction barrier it was pushed into oncoming traffic.
Initially, the Bronx police ticketed the man for not carrying his permit with him, but they later discovered that the driver did not have the appropriate endorsements on his permit on file at his company. The truck load exceeded the width and weight specified because he was delivering an asphalt machine to a city toad project.
He was within two-tenths of a mile from his destination when the truck accident occurred.
A 41-year-old man was killed when his car was crushed.
Authorities said the unpermitted Brooklyn truck driver was at fault in the accident. The blame was placed there and with the semi’s owner, Poindexter Excavating who has a stack of violations with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The company has so many speeding and following too closely citations, that the FMCSA has ordered it to review their driver procedures.
A First Sergeant with the Indiana State Police eloquently stated a truth when he told a cop, “If we had 1,000 more police officers working the state of Indiana, it’s not going to compensate for people that don’t drive for the conditions.”
The state of Indiana hired almost 200 inspectors in the 1980’s with the sole duty of inspecting trucks and busses. But those numbers have declined to the point that there are now less than 1 inspector per 2 counties in the state.
Hoping to alleviate the inspectors, 42 troopers have been cross-trained in semi inspection. A witness points out that the troopers’ primary responsibilities keep them from being on the highways 8 hours a day looking for suspicious behavior and oversized loads. So, in effect, they are not filling the gap that was created with the diminishing of 150 inspector positions.
State Police, however, insist that manpower and inspections – or the lack thereof – aren’t the primary problem. They insist the issue was the driver and the company that allowed him to drive the payload they knew, or could have easily checked, was above his permitted limit.
Just to make a buck, a company can allow its employees to disregard the rules and policies
in effect, and when that happens to harm you or your family, contact a New York Truck Accident Attorney. They will ensure that your case gets the attention it deserves.