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Sleeplessness to blame in semi and bus crash?

Posted on Apr 28, 2009

Sleeplessness appears to be the blame in an 18-wheel tractor trailer crash that killed a 13-year old North Marion Middle School student and caused a Marion County school bus to burst into flames in September 2008, according to the Ocala.com news source.  The driver of the tractor trailer, Reinaldo Andujar Gonzalez, was arrested on April 7, 2009, on charges of vehicular homicide and serious bodily injury in the US 301 accident.

The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) issued a report stating that Gonzalez had not had adequate sleep in 42 ½ hours-a blatant violation of national trucking safety standards.  The FHP reports that although the truck driver had just ended a call on his cell phone and placed it in the cup holder, the cell phone was not the major contributing cause to the crash.  Instead, lack of sleep was to blame.           

Federal Motor Carrier Regulations limit a tractor trailer carrying commercial goods to no more than 11 cumulative driving hours or to any period not to exceed 14 consecutive driving hours, following 10 consecutive hours off-duty.

The tractor trailer, carrying light bulbs from Jacksonville to Groveland, slammed into the rear of a school bus that was safely stopped with flashing hazard lights at a bus stop near Citra while dropping children off at the end of the day.  One witness reported it appeared Gonzalez was asleep because the truck never swerved to avoid the school bus. 

Gonzalez' employer, Comtrak, stated that it is solely a truck driver's responsibility to check their hours log and drivers can work everyday if available.

It is Time for the Legislature to Not be Asleep at the Wheel! 

 

       

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Mr. Meldon strongly believes that public education is step one in the prevention of an accident or in the recovery from one. 

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