IL State Trooper Struck And Killed On I-55

o my God, you too must be a LIBERAL

 

this term "aggressive driver" seems to be a catchall phrase, much like "outlaw" and "renegade" for anyone who doesnt toe the safety manager's line

i had a safety manager ride with me for a test ride, i changed gears while making a left turn in traffic, from 2nd to 3rd ........he about lost his mind, he said that was "aggressive driving"

i have learned to drive as i am in my comfort zone and leave the labels to "del monte"

 

This is why nobody has their phone number on their trucks anymore.

 

Yes shifting gears while turning was always explained to me as BAD. Better to wind the hell out of the engine and grind the gears after the turn and get thrown all over the cab I guess. After I really learned how to drive I files that one away in the file that flushes.

 

Catch-all phrase or not, any insurer is well aware of the term and what it means in their book. With all of the technology and effective "black-boxes" in vehicles today (cars and trucks), there is too much historical information out there to ignore that comes from wrecked vehicles. We can debate what an "aggressive truck driver" is, but you can't ignore bells and warning signs that repeat over and over. Most drivers are unaware how much safety dept's overlook and understand many incidents are merely part of the industry but some things and a high frequency of their documented occurrence can't be overlooked.

 

He's just rattling your cage.

 

I do understand how much safety does. When I worked for the heaping tragedy that is known as Knight Transportation, I also worked for one of the toughest safety guy in the business. He was also the most fair and understanding person I have ever known in this industry. He always gave me the benefit of the doubt because I worked hard for the company. Really pushed the envelope while others were reprimanded for far less. Only later did I realize that this was because the company put profits before safety. Yes I fully understood that had an incident occurred I would be thrown under the bus in a heartbeat.

 

It appears to me to be an uncomfortable position to be in in any company. I wouldn't do it. I have seen safety people get their rear ends ripped for stopping the engine of profit more than once. Operations almost always seems to win and it takes a tremendous amount of moral courage to tell your employer to stop doing this and that.

 

12/3/2012 FMCSA Orders Truck Driver to Stop Operating

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A truck driver who admitted to losing consciousness before hitting and killing an Illinois state trooper has been ordered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to stop driving immediately because he failed to disclose a disqualifying medical condition during his DOT physical.

The FMCSA declared Georgia-licensed truck driver Johnny Felton Jr. an imminent hazard and ordered him to immediately cease all commercial vehicle driver operations due to his failure to exercise an appropriate duty of care to the motoring public.

Felton, a driver for DOT Transportation Inc., a trucking company based in Mt. Sterling, Ill., was ordered to cease operating following a crash on Nov. 26 that resulted in the death of Illinois State Trooper Kyle Deatherage near Litchfield, Ill. Deatherage was a motorcycle officer who had pulled over another vehicle and was on the side of the road when struck.

FMCSA immediately placed Felton out of service after agency investigators found serious safety concerns surrounding his medical condition and qualifications under his commercial drivers license issued by Georgia. Investigators discovered that Felton failed to disclose to a medical examiner his disqualifying medical conditions, including his medications prescribed in treating those conditions.

Although the copy of the out of service order released to the public has the details of the medical condition blacked out, it says the Illinois State Police found prescription medication for the condition bearing his name in his vehicle after the crash. It also says Felton's medical condition disqualified him from operating a commercial vehicle.

"This case sends a clear message that we will use every tool at our disposal to identify and remove from our roads unsafe operators," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. "Our agency is committed to raising the bar for commercial vehicle and driver safety."

** I just read this news and am saddened and horrified to learn that the driver put so many innocent lives at risk by his actions & lies.

 

The mystery is solved. Anybody still think it was the cops fault? What a shame, it's terrible. This poor guy will have to live with this for the rest of his life.