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A rundown of trucking-related arrests, convictions, and crime news from May 2018.
May 8, 2018
A 41-year-old Arkansas man was charged with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence in a five-vehicle crash.
Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz said Jess C. Plunkett was driving a semi north on I-57 when he rear-ended three vehicles and the trailer of another truck.
Those vehicles were stopped because another truck had stalled on the highway, state police said.
According to Rietz, Plunkett admitted to “smoking cannabis and snorting crushed pills in Memphis prior to the crash.”
Source: The News-Gazette
May 15, 2018
A Port Elizabeth truck driver was arrested after allegedly reporting a fake hijacking.
Elton Schoeman (30) claimed he was hijacked at gunpoint by unknown males at about 3:30 AM. He was driving a truck loaded with R800,000 (64,268 USD) worth of liquor.
“On further probing‚ the driver alleged that he was not robbed‚ but instead agreed with the unknown men to steal the liquor. More arrests are imminent,” said a police spokesperson.
The driver is being charged with making a false statement under oath and theft.
Source: Times Live
May 16, 2018
Two cargo theft recording firms reported that cargo theft is down in the U.S. and Canada during the first quarter of 2018.
The number of stolen trailers dropped from 149 to 138 compared to a year ago. And the average value per theft dropped from $164,185 to $90,883.
According to the recording firms, electronics, food and drink, and home and garden products are the most-stolen items.
Source: CCJ Digital
May 18, 2018
In April 2018, investigators with the Maine State Police set out to catch a truck driver who had managed to avoid paying tolls on his tractor trailer truck for the previous 6 years.
The suspect wracked up $1300 in unpaid fines by illegally attaching license plates not belonging to him to his vehicle. One license plate belonged to someone who was deceased.
After launching an investigation, troopers intercepted Danny Olson Turner (61), a long-haul truck driver and owner of Olson Transportation as he entered Maine from New Hampshire.
The suspect was charged with: theft of services, false log book, failing to retain his previous log books, illegal attachment of registration plates, unauthorized taking of registration plates, and failing or neglecting to pay tolls. Olson’s truck was also placed out of service and towed.
Source: Instagram
May 23, 2018
77 undocumented immigrants were found inside a tractor trailer during a traffic stop. The 18-wheeler had been pulled over for a traffic violation.
Two of the immigrants were so badly dehydrated that they were taken to a local hospital.
The truck driver and a passenger were taken into custody, and officials said their case would likely be turned over to the Department of Homeland Security.
Source: Fox San Antonio
May 23, 2018
A trucking company and its owner were convicted of more than a dozen federal charges after an explosion in 2012 destroyed an oil processing plant in eastern Montana.
Donald Wood Jr. of Baker was found guilty of conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, transporting hazardous materials without proper documentation, and obstructing an investigation.
The case began when a company truck hauling natural gas condensate caught fire while a tank was being unloaded at a slop oil recycling plant. Three workers were seriously injured and the fire burned for days.
The trucking company hadn’t notified its insurance company that it was hauling hazardous materials. As a result the company didn’t have insurance coverage for that risk.
Source: US News
May 23, 2018
A semi driver was arrested after traveling on the wrong side of the road and crashing into a vehicle.
No one was injured.
Police reported that the suspect, Elbert Kennon (32), then walked away from the vehicle and went to a casino. Police found him naked in the area around 8:00 PM. He is thought to have been high on PCP during the episode.
Source: KRMG
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