Tank Truck Driver's Record

83 mph in a 55 zone and he still has ANY license??!?!?! Why hasn't anyone taken away this menace's license??? He's definitely not fit to drive as a professional trucker!!!

 

Hold on now, yes, that is a high rate of speed. This was 6 years ago which would make him 24 years old. I don't believe the article states whether or not that was in a 4 wheeler on a big truck. I will be the first to admit that in my personal vehicle I have gone that fast on more than one occasion. This is an unfortunate accident and yes, the driver is at fault. But let's not pile on this guy for things that don't have anything to do with this accident. I just can't believe that no one was killed! The Good Lord was watching over everyone in the vicinity this morning.

 

He had three speeding violations as well as

He shouldn't be driving ANY vehicle.

 

Please, stop!! Valid inspection could have been the company's fault and possibly the truck registration was expired. The article does state that he didn't have his medical card on him. That is a problem. I had the inspection sticker on my personal vehicle expire and the next day before I had a chance to get it inspected, I was stopped and given a ticket for not having a valid inspection. Of course the news media is going to find everything they can on this guy. If they dig far enough he probably got a C on a math test when he was in the 5th grade. Don't get caught up in the tragedy that occured and look at the facts without the biased spin that the media will put on this story.

 

First, let me point out that many of the Northeast states are very anal retentive over their vehicle inspection programs, and not having the vehicle inspected simply means that he missed the inspection. Most of those programs do not really certify the safety of the vehicle, merely make sure that the driver of th vehicle pays yet another fee to government for a service they did not render. As for the speeding tickets, which apparently all took place in his own private vehicle, sorry, but they don't automatically imply that he was an unsafe commercial driver. I, as well as most of you, have had someone pass me at 80 mpg in a 55 zone, and it's a matter of luck or fate if a policeman pulls you over for it. if there isn't one around, you can all get away with it, and probably most of you have at some point.

Bottom line, before I condemn this guy, I want to have an accident report come out. it's a major accident, but until sosmeone who is actually investigating says it was the fault of the driver, I won;t blame him. if it was his fault, then he should suffer the legal penalties that apply. But not until the accident has been investigated.

 

Just an FYI, but I've never driven 80 mph in my life, especially in a 55 zone. That's just asking for a ticket and it reckless and careless unless it's a divided highway.

You can defend this guy all you like but not bothering to get his inspection done, getting "several" speeding tickets just points out that he's careless, to me, anyway. I'm done here.

 

I have. Once I drove from 28th st in Wyoming, MI to the Plainwell 131 exit 49 north of K'Zoo in 17 minutes. (32 miles)
Rode a motorcycle, actually; a 1976 Honda 750 SOHC with an "836 Kit". AND, I only stopped to put on rain-gear because it started raining.

 

Seems like this guy has had other problems in the past besides "forgetting" to get his car inspected. From the (Boston) Herald:

"The trucker behind the wheel of yesterday's tanker-rollover catastrophe that cost a dozen Everett families their homes has a disturbing history of criminal behavior, including making a bomb threat "as a joke" and tangling with a cop.
On Jan. 16, 1997, Chad LaFrance, 30, of Dover, N.H., was sentenced to six months probation after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court in Boston to a federal misdemeanor charge of obstructing mail delivery.
According to a criminal complaint issued against LaFrance by the FBI, on Aug. 6, 1996, LaFrance "did willfully make a threat and did maliciously convey false information knowing the same to be false concerning an attempt or alleged attempt being made, or to be made, to kill, injure and intimidate individuals and unlawfully to damage or destroy a building by means of an explosive."

LaFrance, according to the affidavit, worked for UPS in Chelmsford from August 1995 to July 1996. Court documents do not specify why his employment there ended.
LaFrance later told police he had sent the bomb threat "as a joke," figuring some of his former coworkers in Chelmsford "would get a laugh out of what he had written," the affidavit reads.
But it wasn't his last brush with the law.

LaFrance was living in Somersworth, N.H., on Sept. 7, 2002, when at 12:38 a.m. in Dover, N.H., according to records on file in Dover District Court, he punched Dover police officer Robert Morin in the mouth, then ran away as Morin was attempting to arrest him.

On Dec. 16, 2002, LaFrance pleaded guilty to charges of assault and resisting arrest and was sentenced to spend four weekends at the Strafford County House of Correction. He was also ordered to pay several hundreds of dollars in fines, according to court records.

LaFrance was hauling 9,400 gallons of gasoline for the family owned New Hampshire long-distance trucking company P.S. Marston Associates (Abenaqui Carriers) when state police say he rolled his tanker on Sweetser Circle in Everett just after 1:30 a.m. yesterday, unleashing a flood of fire that incinerated two apartment buildings, exploded 21 cars and apparently killed at least five pets.

State police cited LaFrance for speeding.

LaFrance's bosses have not yet returned calls from the Herald over the past two days, but a written statement they released yesterday said, "We are gratified by the reports that there have been no personal injuries. It is far too early in the process to ascertain the cause of the accident, so we are unable to comment on that at this point. We have ensured proper environmental response and are fully cooperating with the authorities"

I have been watching the local news coverage of this story for the past two days, and it is very, very sad to hear the stories of the folks who have lost not only their homes, but everything in them, including beloved pets.

 

Yep, I have to say this guy is not a model citizen. I just wonder if a catastrophy like this will close this company.