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A rundown of trucking-related arrests, convictions, and crime news from August 2018.
August 6, 2018
LA PRAIRIE, WI
Police found “several ounces of a white, crystal powder” and “needles, pipes and unknown liquids” in the cab of a northbound semi-trailer after it crashed on Highway 80 in La Prairie, WI. The truck driver and a passenger were charged with possession of methamphetamine.
The passenger told arresting officers that she had injected meth and heroin and was asleep in the truck’s sleeper berth when the crash woke her up.
Source: GazetteXtra
August 6, 2018
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL
A tractor-trailer driver was arrested after striking a bridge over Interstate 75.
According to Florida Highway Patrol, the driver continued heading north after striking the bridge, causing minor damage to the overpass.
The bridge strike led officials to shut down the roadway for four hours.
Source: Local 10
August 10, 2018
ROLLING PRAIRIE, IN
State police uncovered marijuana in a semi-tractor trailer. The drugs were discovered during a routine traffic stop after the driver was observed speeding.
A state trooper reportedly detected a strong marijuana odor coming from within the vehicle. There was a passenger in the vehicle, but because the driver claimed sole possession of the pot, the passenger was not charged.
Source: NWI.com
August 14, 2018
HAYS, KS
Police arrested the owner of a semi-truck after he allegedly waved a rifle outside a business in Hays. The man reportedly brandished the weapon because he was upset about his semi-truck being stuck in impound.
Police reported that the suspect pulled out a rifle in the business parking lot, cycled the action of the weapon, and yelled at an employee before driving away. He was later located in La Cross – about 30 minutes away – and was arrested without incident.
Source: Hays Daily News
August 16, 2018
LAS VEGAS, NV
The dog days of summer bring us yet another tale of an ice cream truck driver behaving badly.
The driver lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a man in a wheelchair. Miraculously, the man – Steven Whitefeather – survived the incident, although his hip was fractured in the collision.
After striking Whitefeather, the ice cream truck driver crashed into a tire shop. First responders noted finding empty beer bottles inside the ice cream truck’s freezer. The driver later failed a sobriety test, became combative, and had to be restrained.
“How do you drive an ice cream truck drunk?” questioned Whitefeather. “I’m actually glad he hit me, instead of a kid.”
Source: 13 Action News
August 17, 2018
GLENDALE HEIGHTS, IL
Police charged a tow truck driver with child endangerment after he allegedly towed a car with an 11-year-old child inside. The tow truck driver then abandoned the boy – who the family says is disabled – at a nearby business.
Bystanders reported trying to get the driver to stop and yelling that there was a child in the car, but the driver nevertheless left the scene. He then let the child out at another location.
Thankfully, a citizen spotted the unattended boy and drove him back to the scene where the car was towed from. Police then searched the area and found the tow truck in the parking lot of a local business.
The towing company the suspect works for did not respond to a reporter’s request for comment.
Source: NBC Chicago
August 17, 2017
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, OH
Police charged a semi-truck driver with using the vehicle as a weapon to run over police cars.
The incident took place during an 8o-mile chase that ended with the suspect facing attempted murder charges.
The perpetrator allegedly took an 18-wheeler and loaded it with stolen industrial equipment such as riding mowers. A police chase ensued, during which the suspect tried to run over four police cars that had officers inside. The chase reached speeds of up to 70 mph.
After the final crash of the high-speed chase, the suspect jumped out of the truck and fled into the woods. But because he left his cell phone on the seat of the 18-wheeler, police were able to track him down.
Source: Cincinnati.com
