Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, April 8, 2025:
NTSB: Speed, unsecured manhole cover led to fatal rollover crash, I-95 bridge collapse
Speeding and an open manhole cover on the involved tanker trailer were the primary factors that led to a June 2023 fatal rollover crash that resulted in a fire and the collapse of an I-95 bridge in Philadelphia, according to a final report issued last month by the National Transportation Safety Board.
In the crash, a tractor-trailer operated by Nathan Moody, who drove for Penn Tank Lines affiliate TK Transport, exited I-95 and rolled over during a left-hand turn onto Cottman Avenue, spilling gasoline and igniting a fire that led to the collapse of the I-95 overpass and the truck driver's death.
This northbound view of the crash site shows the exit ramp where the tanker truck overturned and caught fire, resulting in the collapse of a section of I-95.NTSB
[Related: Pennsylvania tanker driver ID'd as Nathan Moody of TK Transport]
During its investigation, NTSB determined the truck was traveling between 44 and 54 mph, well above the ramp's posted advisory speed limit of 25 mph. The agency also found that the manhole cover for the forwardmost compartment of the truck’s tanker trailer was open when the truck rolled over, allowing gasoline to quickly spill, “likely initiating the post-crash fire and enabling it to spread quickly,” NTSB noted.
Federal regulations require closing and securing manhole covers, and a missing or unsecured manhole cover constitutes a Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance out-of-service order. NTSB said its review of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration violations over the last 10 years found that approximately 19 such violations occur per year.
NTSB’s investigation also concluded that fatigue could have been a contributing factor to both of the above factors in the crash. Moody’s schedule delivering fuel was from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., Sunday through Thursday. Phone records indicated that during Moody’s off days, he reverted to a daytime schedule, as records showed texting and calling between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
“The driver’s lack of alertness to the exit ramp advisory speed and loss of control of his vehicle suggest that he may have been fatigued when the crash occurred,” NTSB said. “His neglect of the task of securing the open manhole at the front of the cargo tank -- despite being adjacent to it on multiple occasions while picking up and dropping off gasoline during his shift -- also suggests potential fatigue, particularly because the noise caused by air exiting the manhole compartment while he was loading it with fuel would have been obvious to a driver who was fully alert.”
NTSB also highlighted that the truck involved in the crash, a 2017 International manufactured in 2016, was not equipped with electronic stability control (ESC), which has been required on trucks with a GVWR greater than 26,000 pounds since 2019. NTSB simulations indicated that an ESC system could have helped to prevent the rollover in this crash at any of the speeds in the 44–54 mph range at which the truck was traveling.
[Related: I-95 in Philadelphia reopens just 12 days after fiery bridge collapse]
Legislation introduced to fight staged-accident fraud
Members of Congress on Monday introduced the "Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act," which would make intentionally staging a crash with a motor vehicle a federal crime. The bill was introduced by Reps. Mike Collins (R-Georgia) and Brandon Gill (R-Texas).
Increasingly, con artists in passenger vehicles are intentionally colliding with commercial motor vehicles to file frivolous lawsuits, seeking damages that often exceed seven figures, a press release from Collins said. This has been evident in years-long litigation related to a staged-accident fraud scheme in New Orleans that targeted trucking companies and their insurers. To date, that case has resulted in 63 indictments, including plaintiff attorneys involved in the scheme.
“Criminal elements are launching an assault against America’s truckers, in the courtroom and on our roads,” Collins said. “Staged accidents take advantage of truckers’ high insurance coverage and make them prime targets for criminals looking for a quick payday, saddling truckers with millions of dollars in inflated damages, increasing insurance premiums for all Americans, and driving up the costs for every transported good." Collins hoped the legislation would better "hold these fraudsters and their co-conspirators accountable and stop the ‘nuclear verdicts’ that are bankrupting truckers across the country.”
While the text of the bill was not immediately available, Collins said the legislation “establishes clear, enforceable criminal penalties for those who stage these collisions, as well as the attorneys, physicians and other co-conspirators who knowingly participate in this fraud.”
[Related: Insurance to defend against the downhill threat of post-crash litigation]
Trucking groups were quick to put their support behind the legislation, with the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, the American Trucking Associations, the Truckload Carriers Association and others supporting the bill.
“Staged accidents are not victimless crimes. These are calculated, premeditated assaults that endanger lives, destroy livelihoods, and compromise highway safety,” said OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh. “To add insult to injury, criminals abuse the legal system for profit through false accusations and lawsuits, which contribute to skyrocketing insurance premiums for small trucking businesses.”
Henry Hanscom, ATA’s Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs, said the legislation “would close legal loopholes that criminals are exploiting to attack America’s hardworking truckers.”
[Related: New Orleans staged accidents: Guilty plea for murder charge, more]
Alleged Florida truck theft ring busted
The Hillsborough County (Florida) Sheriff's Office Auto Theft Unit has arrested three individuals connected to a widespread theft ring that stole semi-trucks and dump trucks valued at more than $6 million. Hillsborough County covers the city of Tampa, among others.
Over the past several months, detectives with HCSO's Auto Theft Unit conducted an extensive investigation into a group targeting vehicles from multiple Florida counties. The stolen vehicles were taken from Hillsborough, Polk, Hernando, Pasco, Sarasota, and Pinellas counties, with thefts linked as far back as September 2024.
Working in partnership with the Statewide Prosecutor's Office, detectives identified and arrested Rayge Sanchez, 40; Christian Garcia Diaz, 26; and Jose Nuñez, 29 -- who all had ties to the theft operation.
Charges against Sanchez and Diaz include five counts of Grand Theft -- $100,000 or more, and one count of RICO conspiracy or endeavor. Nuñez’s charges include seven counts of Grand Theft -- $100,000 or more, and one count of RICO conspiracy or endeavor.
"These weren't just stolen trucks; these were critical tools for businesses, livelihoods for families, and key components of infrastructure projects across our region," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "Thanks to the relentless work of our Auto Theft Unit and our partners at the Statewide Prosecutor's Office, we've stopped a major criminal enterprise that was taking from those who help drive our economy forward."
[Related: A stolen truck, a freight scam and a big re-evaluation on the road to small fleet success]
