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Could it have been his HOS violation? Or his illegal driver's licence? Or just his lack of integrity to stay and face charges? (I'm not saying any of these are necessarily TRUE.)
Because we all know that NEVER happens in the US.
Oh yeah, it happens quite OFTEN..... usually when the driver is an "illegal." MOST reports of accidents lately, involving American Drivers, indicate that the driver stuck around, co-operated with the police, and was CHARGED!
And is the lack of comment by the company involved (not Mexican, but operating from there) going to be the normal response by companies in Mexico IF and WHEN such an accident happens here in the U.S.???
Does Swift, Schneider or JB Hunt make comments on every single accident that their trucks have? I don't recall the company that owned that truck that destroyed that bridge in San Jose (or wherever) in California giving a press conference.
Ah.... but they DID!! And I suspect that all those companies you mentioned WOULD, indeed, make a public comment if one of their drivers caused an accident that killed 34 people!
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First, I never meant to say they gave a press conference. I said they made a public comment. In fact, they have refused to be INTERVIEWED by news agencies. However, they DID release a comment (attached at the end of this post.)
Second, the fact that they did NOT want to answer questions from the press might indicate that they have something to HIDE! Indeed, that is the case as CHP yanked their Hazmat license for OPERATING UNIDENTIFIED LOCATIONS (thereby elluding inspections.)
http://cbs5.com/investigates/local_story_145163024.html
So, whereas YOU tried to use this company as an example of some upstanding American trucking company, on a PAR with Schneider, Swift, etc., I would submit that they have acted EXACTLY as the company in Mexico did, and perhaps for the SAME REASONS.
And "THIS" is exactly what many of us are concerned about with the Mexican Trucking companies..... UNSAFE trucks, SUBVERSION of regulations and inspections, HIRING drivers with criminal backgrounds for dangerous loads, who then might RUN when involved in an accident, etc., etc.
But, you're right about ONE thing! We already HAVE enough unsafe, questionable companies operating in Mexifornia and elsewhere that need MORE attention from the FMCSA and other agencies. We don't need to IMPORT them!
The company's public comment.... for the record:
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"Representatives from Sabek Transportation, Inc. are not giving interviews to the media at this time.
The investigation of the accident which occured on April 29, 2007 has not yet been completed. We are fully cooperating with officials being mindful of our driver's privacy rights. Additionally, we are conducting our own internal investigation.
What has been confirmed thus far, is that our driver left the Vallejo Refinery, located in Benicia, in route to the first delivery at a service station in Oakland whn the accident occured. His truck was loaded with 8,600 gallons of unleaded fuel. Following the accident, our driver miraculously escaped and is currently recovering in a local hospital. Our focus remians on our driver's continued recovery and request that his privacy be respected. We are thankful that it is anticipated that our driver will make a full recovery and that no fatalities occured as a result of this accident.
Although the exact cause of the accident has yet to be determined, the driver was tested for alcohol/drug use and it appears at this time not to play a role. Further, our driver has had a safe driving record during his entire employment with Sabek Transportation, Inc. and meets all licensing and endorsement requirements as dictated by the state of California.
We would like to thank Caltrans, the Oakland Fire Department, the California Highway Patrol and all other agencies that have responded to the scene and who are working diligently on repairing the effected roadway.
Lastly, we apologize to all commuters in the Bay Area for the great inconvenience this will cause."
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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