After accident that kills trooper, trucker ordered to shut down

Jill Dunn | December 10, 2012

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has declared a trucker an imminent hazard after his truck struck and killed a state trooper and has ordered him to cease all operations immediately Nov. 30.

Georgia-licensed driver Johnny Felton, Jr .was driving on Interstate 55 near Litchfield, Ill., when he lost consciousness and his truck hit Trooper Kyle Deatherage, the agency stated. The 32-year-old Deatherage was conducting a traffic stop on the road’s shoulder about 9:30 a.m. Nov. 26.

Felton did not reveal a medical condition that would have disqualified him from commercial driving. The Nov. 30 out-of-service order was redacted so it did not indicate what condition he had, but that he carried prescriptions for it in the truck.

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Bob

Why did they allow him to drive in the first place

If he hid a medical problem he should be procuted for mruder
Chuck

This is exactly why they are cracking down on the rest of us…..really stupid decision that resulted in a Troopers death….now should he go to prison?
Greg

it said he was driving because he did not disclose his medical condition when getting his job…they didn’t know
Thomas Duncan

Yep,this is a hard one,let’s see,the man looses consciousness sometimes?Well hell he could choose the trucking business to make a buck huh?What,I am alright UNTIL I PASS OUT!
Curtis

The doctor should also be prosecuted, he is just as liable for passing the physical in which he is supposed to be trained to be smarter than the rest of the population.
http://www.facebook.com/scott.aab Scott Aab

This is very tough for any man, lying wasnt a good idea, I’m on the backside of a mandatory two year leave of absence due to a tramatic brain injury, social security told me to return to work (wtf ? one part of the government says stay home and heal and the other says return to work, soc sec hearing is tomorrow) I’m not eligable for a reevaluation until mid January and my neurologist has excused himself because he claims hes not familiar enough with driver certifacation rules and doesnt want to jepordize himself (or me) by making the wrong evaluation ……..
Marty Marsh

Although I would agree that this driver caused his own problems, I think they should make wide spots on interstates like the PA and Ohio Turnpikes have. At todays speeds no one belongs stopped in the break down lane unless they are broke down.
lawdog2062

Scott, I have the same problem as you. I had a tumor surgery that caused me to have to take meds. I am old enough that I’m not able to retrain for anything that is going to make me any kind of good wages. I was a police officer but the effects of the surgery caused medical retirement. I went to trucking. I had gotten off of the medication but had was unable to stay off of it which medically disqualifies me under DOT regs. Like you I tried to get social security but they said I could go back to work doing something else. I am waiting for a DOT exemption but sitting at home right now. Hope things go good for you.
http://www.facebook.com/scott.aab Scott Aab

An exemption for the meds ? NJ told me no exemptions and no way to bypass the reevaluation. My attorney informed me Social Security doesnt have much to stand on due to our wonerful handbook of regulations ( I have to be afforded the two years to try to recover), what I left out here is my TBI was was due to an accident on my way home from the terminal, I was rearended by a (ready for this ?) truck driver to busy on the phone to notice the RED light I was sitting at ! Im thankful I was in my 2500 hd GMC or it couldve been alot worse !! The trial was even better when the defence attorney tried to convince the jury it was my fault because leaving N.C. at midnight I was more fatigued than I relized !! LMFAO !! I hope you get a speedy respose from the D.O.T. and get back to work, for me I dont think I’m going to pass a reeval, most of the symptoms related to the TBI I can deal with, but the most important thing I was taught is to look,listen and smell, I lost my sence of smell due to the accident and not to sure I want toi go down the road and not be able to tell if I’m burning brakes, tires ect. ummm welcome to wal mart sir can I help you ?????
http://profile.yahoo.com/OTJSIGOCYIOFQT7VKVZ2BKW7PY tryin

This really is a problem with the FMCSA having us go to doctors who have to register with the FMCSA, they do not have our medical history, nor know us as patients. Their liability is limited by the fact we are the only source of medical information for them to determine if we can or can’t drive. This shuts the door on many of us who use our general practitioner for our DOT physical, of which many docs will not allow us to drive if we are unfit.