Trucking news and briefs for Friday, March 13, 2026:
- Another attempted illegal U-turn turns tragic: Driver charged with DUI, vehicular homicide.
- Easier access to DAT loads with new app feature.
- New truck stop along I-82 adds 100 parking spaces.
Truck driver arrested in Kentucky after fatal illegal U-turn
The Kentucky State Police (KSP) is investigating a fatal collision that was the result of an illegal U-turn by a tractor-trailer on March 7 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, eerily similar to the triple-fatal crash in Florida last summer that ignited the U.S. Department of Transportation’s non-domiciled CDL crackdown.
According to a police report obtained by Overdrive, the Christian County (Kentucky) Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a reckless driver at the 86 milemarker of I-24 Westbound. The vehicle was described as a black tractor-trailer “all over the roadway, which could not maintain speed, and was nearly running other motorists off the roadway.” The truck also reportedly “almost went off the roadway multiple times and had to cut through the grass to make exit 81,” the police report added.
Police located the truck at the intersection of Eagle Way and Fort Campbell Boulevard, where it was observed traveling southbound on Fort Campbell Boulevard. The truck then entered the right-hand southbound lane, improperly used a turn signal and entered the middle of both lanes to attempt a U-turn to head north on Fort Campbell Boulevard.
As the truck attempted the U-turn, the police report states that a passenger car heading northbound was unable to slow down and “struck the middle of the trailer and went fully underneath.” The driver suffered severe injuries and was transported to a hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries.
The driver of the truck was identified as 36-year-old Gerasimos Livieratos, of Chicago. The passenger vehicle was being operated by Bernice Franklin, 33, of Clarksville, Tennessee, who died in the crash.
A Kentucky State Police trooper said in the police report that upon arrival, a sheriff’s deputy informed the KSP officer that Livieratos could be under the influence. The KSP officer said he observed Livieratos “with relaxed inhibitions and dilated pupils.” Upon searching the truck, the officer found marijuana and drug paraphernalia inside a backpack on the bed in the sleeper. Livieratos confirmed the backpack was his, and an oral fluid drug test came back positive for cannabis.
Livieratos was arrested and charged with:
- Reckless driving
- Failure to or improper signal
- Improper turning
- Possession of marijuana
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a substance (1st offense, aggravated circumstance)
- Vehicular homicide when under the influence of drugs/substance.
Livieratos was booked in the Christian County Jail. The investigation remains ongoing, KSP said.
[Related: Vehicular homicide charges for driver after fatal Florida turnpike U-turn crash kills 3]
DAT debuts iPhone widget for faster load finding
DAT Freight & Analytics has introduced the DAT One iOS widget for iPhone, which displays load matches directly on the home screen of the device to help carriers capitalize on real-time rate trends without opening the DAT One app, the company said.
The DAT One iOS widget refreshes automatically and shows the top three loads with the highest rate per mile based on the user's most recent search in the DAT One app.
DAT
Key features of the widget include:
- Live load matches on the home screen: See results and call brokers directly, without navigating screens.
- Relevant results: Uses saved search preferences (radius, equipment type, location) to show only top-matching loads, refreshed every five minutes.
- One-tap broker contact: Call or email the broker from the widget with a single tap.
To add the DAT One iOS widget, press and hold the iPhone home screen, tap Edit, then Add Widget. Search for DAT One, choose the widget, and drag it onto the home screen.
TA opens new location along I-82
TravelCenters of America has opened a new TA in Grandview, Washington, expanding the company’s presence in the Pacific Northwest.
Located along I-82 at Exit 73, the full-service site enhances options for professional drivers and travelers moving through central Washington, offering a broad mix of dining, amenities, and essential on-the-road services, TA said.
The new truck stop offers 100 truck parking spaces and numerous dining options, including Applebee’s, IHOP, Scratch Chicken, Spice Routh Indian Restaurant, Tacos Guadalajara, an on-site deli, and a retail store with snacks, beverages, and merchandise.
The state of Washington was among seven states that tied for 9th in polling of Overdrive readers in the 2025 Highway Report Card survey for worst parking in the U.S. The additional parking at the TA will certainly be welcomed by truckers frequenting the state.
The new stop in Grandview also offers five diesel lanes with DEF, showers, laundry facilities, a driver’s lounge, truck wash and a pet area.
Truck service is set to open at a later date.
[Related: Truckers' 2025 Highway Report Card: Worst roads, states, parking]
