Truck Accident Has Some Questioning If Semi Truck Ban is Needed

Salt Lake City, Utah Truck Accident

A semi truck collided with a car this morning in the construction zone of Interstate 80 -- a route the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has asked drivers of big rigs to avoid.

The accident backed up traffic for hours and is once again raising questions about why so much trucking traffic is in the narrow lanes.

Right now, a typical traffic slowdown on I-80 happens in that construction zone. This morning at the 700 East overpass, the road was blocked more than three hours.

The semi truck's cab hung up on a Jersey barrier. Wedged in between the two was a car mangled by the high-speed crash. "For the seriousness of the crash, they got pretty lucky that the injuries were as minor as they were," said Sgt. Anthony Carrubba, with the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP).

UHP says a Cadillac traveling east in front of the semi clipped a traffic barrier on the right. The semi tried to avoid the car and moved left, forcing another car into the left-side barrier. The semi then came back to the right and slammed the Cadillac against the barrier and almost over the edge.

The truck driver and the Cadillac driver went to the hospital with minor injuries. "It's a very dangerous situation for the semis to use I-80. We've requested them to use 215 and go around the belt route. That hasn't been as successful as we would hope," Carrubba said.

Even after the crash, dozens of big rigs waited in traffic to roll on by. UDOT has the authority to ban semis from the construction zone, and even considered that when construction started, but for now has decided not too.

"Because of the data we have on record, we didn't see the need for that. We just haven't seen a big increase involving semis or any other vehicles that are different from any other road in the state," said UDOT spokesman Adan Carrillo.

UDOT says many trucks do take I-215, otherwise traffic would be worse. State troopers would like to see all truckers comply. "It would be beneficial to all of us. It will only take them probably about 14 or 15 miles off of their route," Carrubba said.

Carrillo said, "We're halfway into the project. We have not seen an increase in accidents involving semis, so we don't anticipate having to ban semis anytime soon."

We found one Utah trucking company that is requiring its drivers to detour around I-80, in an effort to stay safe. Action Transport weighed the state's request and looked at the extra dozen or so miles drivers would have to go out of their way. Bosses decided to make it policy.

Safety manager Reed Newman says, "It may cost a little bit more to be safe out there, to maintain the vehicles, to put in a little more fuel in to drive that extra little bit around 215, in this instance, but safety is more important."

Since most truckers are paid by the mile, Newman acknowledges the incentive is to get from point A to point B along the shortest route. But he also told us he believes many of the local drivers make the detour and that the out-of-state truckers are more inclined to take I-80 because they don't realize how dangerous the situation is in the construction zone.

Speeding is a bigger issue. UHP has issued more than 240 tickets in the construction zone. If you travel 65 miles per hour rather than the posted 55 mph, you only save yourself 20 seconds through the two-mile zone.

Story by Jed Boal and Marc Giauque on July 9th, 2008

Trucker Dodges $500K In Tolls With Stolen E-ZPass

Trailer's Modified Air System Could Lift Axles On Turnpike

BOSWELL, Pa. -- A Blairsville truck driver is accused of avoiding more than a half-million dollars in Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls by using a stolen New York E-ZPass transponder.

Also, Pennsylvania state police said Thomas Howard Wambold's tractor-trailer has a split-axle trailer with a modified air system that can lift the axles over toll indicators, with mufflers that can prevent toll collectors from hearing the axles being raised.

Wambold, 38, used the stolen E-ZPass more than 1,200 times between September 2005 and March 2008, and he owes $575,980 in full fares to the turnpike commission, police said.

Evading a fare carries a fine of $1,000 -- which means that all of Wambold's alleged evasions would add up to about $1.24 million, according to police.

Police said Wambold admitted using the E-ZPass after they stopped him for a burned-out license plate light near milepost 123.6 in Allegheny Township, Somerset County. Police said he also exceeded the turnpike's 40-ton weight limit by more than 17 tons.

Wambold is charged with theft, access device fraud, receiving stolen property, possessing instruments of crime and exceeding the weight limit.

He was being held at Somerset County Jail on $25,000 straight bond Monday night.

Story from the Pittsburgh Channel on 7/8/08

Authorities: Charges Pending Against Trucker Who Started Crash

Asheville, NC Truck Accident

A tractor-trailer driver passed road-work warnings up to a mile before running into the back of an SUV, touching off a chain-reaction crash that critically injured three children and an adult, authorities said.

The children — ages 1,3 and 11 — all suffered life-threatening injuries in the seven-vehicle pileup Tuesday on Interstate 40, east of Asheville, N.C. Highway Patrol Sgt. Pat Staggs said.

The crash was reported about 9:45 a.m. near the Exit 55 off ramp on westbound I-40, Staggs said.

The tractor-trailer driven by Edward Carroll, 60, of Sherman, W.Va., slammed into a Ford Escape stopped in the left lane for a crew trimming trees ahead.

Investigators were unsure how fast the tractor-trailer was traveling at the time of the crash or why Carroll didn’t slow down in time, Staggs said. There were signs up to a mile from the collision alerting motorists to reduce speed and merge into the left lane, he said.

The collision pushed vehicles into the back of other vehicles. Staggs described the scene as chaotic.

“They were like in a string and when he came through, he just mashed them and they started going every which way,” Staggs said. “Some of them stayed with it and kept moving, and some of them were shooting off to the left and right.”

Two children were listed in critical condition late Tuesday at Mission Hospitals. The third was undergoing surgery at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Another crash victim remained hospitalized at Mission Hospitals in critical condition late Tuesday. One was listed in serious condition at the hospital.

A total of 17 people were involved in the crash.

The pileup shut down westbound I-40 for more than three hours.

The first vehicle struck was driven by Camelia Buchanan, 24, of Marion. Her passengers included Margie Durkee, 54, Cody Buchanan, 11, and Dakota Buchanan, 3.

Durkee and Dakota Buchanan were each listed in critical condition late Tuesday at Mission Hospitals. Camelia Buchanan was listed in serious condition.

Cody Buchanan was transferred to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem in critical condition. He was undergoing surgery late Tuesday.

Haiden Bailey, 1, also was taken to Mission with life-threatening injuries. Haiden was in a vehicle driven by Jennifer Pace, 37, of Old Fort. Pace and her passenger, Kathy King, 21, of Spruce Pine, were taken to the hospital. Their vehicle was the third to last involved in the pileup.

Pace and King were treated and released. Haiden remained at Mission in critical condition late Tuesday.

Others involved were not injured, treated and released or their information was not immediately available.

Carroll, the truck driver, was not injured. Charges are pending, Staggs said. It didn’t appear that drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash, he said.

“We suspect the investigation will continue throughout the next day or so,” Staggs said.

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