truck driver 110 year sentence reduced to 10

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pishta

pishta

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"Sentence reduced to 10 years for truck driver originally sentenced to 110 years in prison for deadly I-70 crash in Colorado"

terrible accident but WTF, 20+ counts including vehicular homicide? For failed brakes? No wonder truckers were about to boycott driving in Colorado...

Maybe he could have used a runnaway ramp, only he knows if he was in position to access that. Terrible any way you look at this.

Sentence reduced to 10 years for truck driver originally sentenced to 110 years in prison for deadly I-70 crash in Colorado
 
Even I thought 110 years was excessive. He was inexperienced driving on steep long down hills. I even think 10 years is harsh....
 
10 years for him but what about the person whom gave him his cdl and the company he drove for ?They all broke federal laws!
 
I think he should just get a few years and the trucking company's fleet maintenance manager should get the balance.
 
tedsweet said:
if he wasnt qualified he shoulsnt have been driving
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Too many people are being put into the seat with little to no proper training in the SAFE operation of a tractor trailer. The result is that far too often someone dies and the driver is vilified. The problem lies with the company that is not making sure the drivers are properly trained and experienced. I have been a professional driver for over 30 years, the majority of them accident free, with a couple of minor fender benders resulting in a few hundred dollars in damage. I had the benefit of having very in depth and thorough training. It was a 3 month course combining classroom theory, state of the art simulators, and plenty of seat time in a controlled environment. There is a shortage of skilled, qualified people in this industry because it is more about the $$ than the lives and safety of everyone on the road and the freight companies are just looking to make sure that the products get moved from point A to point B as fast as possible. I feel really bad for the driver, it's his face that will always be associated with the loss of life that resulted from this incident.
We had a similar instance here a couple years ago where an inexperienced driver, on his first trip alone, missed a stop sign and wiped out a bus loaded with a junior hockey team. 16 people dead, several others crippled for life. The driver was sentenced to prison and the company that employed him was shut down and fined, but reopened under a different name.
 
@missing linc
My Dad was a trucker for 30+ year as well. Multiple safety awards. He even drives annoyingly slow when in a passenger vehicle. Safety is just drilled in.
Even with his outstanding skill at driving safely he has been in accidents that resulted in the loss of life. Drive long enough and chances are something will happen. He was involved in hitting a guy high on PCP who ran into the freeway at night.
I've always been aware that Truckers are the safest drivers on the road. Most of the dangerous drivers are on 4 wheels. I have seen many, many Somalis, Pakistanis, and Afghanis driving recently and have wondered if that still holds true.
 
go-fish said:
I think he should just get a few years and the trucking company's fleet maintenance manager should get the balance.
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I agree. People seem to think the drivers are responsible for the truck's upkeep. Only if it's a driver owned truck. This was not.
 
A lot of my Trucker Friends don't think he should have got the sentence reduced. They claim it's ultimately the Drivers responsibility to make sure the truck is in good operating condition plus the fact he bypassed several Runaway Ramps he could have taken. I'm torn, I thought 110 years was excessive but don't know enough about the topic to know for sure.
 
A circle chk and more is done by the driver, drivers the one behind the wheel. Driver is or should be responsible.
 
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Back in Time said:
A lot of my Trucker Friends don't think he should have got the sentence reduced. They claim it's ultimately the Drivers responsibility to make sure the truck is in good operating condition plus the fact he bypassed several Runaway Ramps he could have taken. I'm torn, I thought 110 years was excessive but don't know enough about the topic to know for sure.
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I have my CDL with tanks, air brakes, and fire engine endorsements.

As a driver you are responsible for checking lights, visual inspection for leaks and frayed belts, inspecting tires, and a brake check that includes ensuring the air compressor and supply system works.

There may have been something he could have caught with a thorough brake check but I don't know if his inspection had been done and how thorough it was. That's why I'm not saying he should go scott free. I do know there were things wrong with maintenance that was not part of his wheelhouse.

As far as the runaway ramps, I'd have to look into that. He should have used them if he had the emergency before those were passed. I agree.

Maybe 10 years is right?
 
Yes, if there were runaway ramps that he bypassed, that could change his culpability. I am not familiar with all of the details of this tragedy, it is the driver's responsibility to make sure the vehicle is safe, but I reiterate that the driver must be properly trained to do a thorough inspection, that is where the problem usually lies.
 
go-fish said:
@missing linc
My Dad was a trucker for 30+ year as well. Multiple safety awards. He even drives annoyingly slow when in a passenger vehicle. Safety is just drilled in.
Even with his outstanding skill at driving safely he has been in accidents that resulted in the loss of life. Drive long enough and chances are something will happen. He was involved in hitting a guy high on PCP who ran into the freeway at night.
I've always been aware that Truckers are the safest drivers on the road. Most of the dangerous drivers are on 4 wheels. I have seen many, many Somalis, Pakistanis, and Afghanis driving recently and have wondered if that still holds true.
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I completely agree that the odds will eventually catch up with any driver, just too many possibilities that one cannot anticipate, like a person high on drugs or someone who is determined to take their own life by driving head on into a tractor trailer. A good friend of mine had that happen early in their career and she couldn't get it out of her head, had to get out of the industry.
 
missing linc said:
Yes, if there were runaway ramps that he bypassed, that could change his culpability. I am not familiar with all of the details of this tragedy, it is the driver's responsibility to make sure the vehicle is safe, but I reiterate that the driver must be properly trained to do a thorough inspection, that is where the problem usually lies.
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And operation. I too am not real familiar with this case but I did here he was on his brakes hard going down hill. Failure to use the proper gear while descending a hill. Brake fade is a killer.
 
It comes down too.
He burned up his brakes going down the mountain and didn't take the emergency ramp. He should have known how to drive on that road or he should not have driven it, period. He is responsible for his actions.
 
missing linc said:
couldn't get it out of her head, had to get out of the industry.
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My Dad was in Houston when the guy high on PCP ran in front of him.
His company had to send a driver down there to finish the route and flew him home. My Dad absolutely hates flying but at that time he didn't want to get a rental car and drive himself. After some time of reflection he determined that he did nothing wrong and leaned on the Lord to help find peace with it.
 
From what I've seen was he wasn't qualified, knew trailer brakes were faulty, reported it I believe, took a near max load anyway. Ignored signs saying to slow down for the decline and didn't use three run away ramps. There were other things I don't remember. I can't figure out why the big push to reduce his sentence.
 
abodyjoe said:
From what I've seen was he wasn't qualified, knew trailer brakes were faulty, reported it I believe, took a near max load anyway. Ignored signs saying to slow down for the decline and didn't use three run away ramps. There were other things I don't remember. I can't figure out why the big push to reduce his sentence.
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Gosh, the more I'm learning the more I think the original sentence was right. Just goes to show you a thing about mob justice and social justice (court of public opinion).
 
That idiot was going 85 in a 45. Said his brakes failed but he still have a jake brake. Went by emergency turnoffs and killed 4 people. Be eligible for parole in 5, I think the 100 years was to much but he should do 20+.
 
abodyjoe said:
From what I've seen was he wasn't qualified, knew trailer brakes were faulty, reported it I believe, took a near max load anyway. Ignored signs saying to slow down for the decline and didn't use three run away ramps. There were other things I don't remember. I can't figure out why the big push to reduce his sentence.
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The big push was because he wasn’t white. Sadly
 
go-fish said:
I think he should just get a few years and the trucking company's fleet maintenance manager should get the balance.
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It's the drivers responsibility for saftey that's why he does a pre trip and a post trip and can read and comprehend English then the da woulda hitbthe break check area and drove slow like the sign said or hit a runaway ramp
 
Bigdummy said:
It's the drivers responsibility for saftey that's why he does a pre trip and a post trip and can read and comprehend English then the da woulda hitbthe break check area and drove slow like the sign said or hit a runaway ramp
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If the truck wasn't safe don't drive it.Its cheaper than being thrown in jail for 10 years.Kinda like a taxi is cheaper than getting a dwi or killing someone drunk
 
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