A truck driver whose truck drifted across the center line and hit a motorcycle driven by Al and Janet Studesville, parents of Denver Broncos running back coach Eric Studesville, may face criminally negligent homicide charges, Channel 3000 reported.

The incident occurred on June 4, on US 54, a 2-lane rural road in north Texas.  The Studesvilles died at the scene.

The truck driver, Dewayne Buck, told authorities that he was reaching down to grab a candy bar, which caused his truck to drift out of its lane.

According to Channel 3000, investigators will meet with a prosecuting attorney to determine whether or not there’s enough evidence for the case to go before a grand jury.

If convicted, Buck could face a term of no less than 6 months but no more than 2 years.  He may also be fined up to $10,000.

For a conviction, the state must prove that Buck should have been aware, but wasn’t, of the substantial and unjustifiable risk that death could occur because of his actions.

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I’m a huge  fan of Kraft recipes.  Many of the recipes that can be found on Kraft are quick, easy and delicious.  I sometimes get in a dinner rut and can’t think of anything new to make and it’s one of my go-to recipe sites.  That’s where I found this delicious recipe.

For more great recipes from Kraft, follow this link.

Ingredients:

Photo Credit: Kraft

2 green onions, sliced

For a lighter option, choose 2% cheese

Directions

1. Toss chicken with taco seasoning and flour in slow cooker. Stir in vegetables and salsa; cover with lid.

2. Cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours (or on HIGH 3 to 4 hours).

3.Stir just before serving. Serve over rice topped with cheese and onions.

ACO BELL® and Logo are trademarks owned and licensed by Taco Bell Corp.

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Classic driving song “Runnin’ Down A Dream,” released in 1989 on Tom Petty‘s first solo album, Full Moon Fever, reached #1 according to the U.S. Billboard Chart for Album Rock Tracks. The song was a hit single off an album that sent Petty through the stratosphere in popularity.

Full Moon Fever has reached 5x platinum in the U.S. and 6x platinum in Canada. ”Runnin’ Down A Dream” was co-written by Tom Petty, Mike Campbell and Jeff Lynne.

Wherever you may be, turn this one up and sing along!

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Go inside truck driver Dean “Squirrel” Mozingo’s beautiful Freightliner NASCAR hauler. Mozingo is a professional driver for Hendrick Motorsports and transports NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon’s #24 vehicle.

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Hilarious.  We’re guessing he rented it for the day.

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On Saturday, 29-year-old truck driver Matt Cook was driving along Interstate 75, over the Alafia River bridge, in Tampa, Florida, when the steering on his truck suddenly failed, causing Cook to lose control of his truck.

The out-of-control truck went over the side of the bridge and fell nearly 50 feet to the river bed below.

Fortunately for Cook, an off-duty firefighter and police officer just happened to be driving by when the accident occurred.

“When he hit that, I could barely see anything there was so much smoke… and the tractor disappeared,” firefighter John Fragomeni told WTSP.

“The cab was all separated on its own, the axle came off, the bull dozer went 100 yards the other way and my first instinct was ‘this guy might be hurt really bad or he might not even be alive’,” firefighter John Fragomeni told WTSP.

Fragomeni and the off-duty police officer ran to the driver’s aid, but both were fearful the driver might not have survived the crash.

“The guy pokes his head out of the roof of the truck. Right then, I was breathless. I was so happy to see he was alive.”

The two rescue workers and a fisherman helped aid Cook.

Fragomeni said the driver described the crash to him, “He was like I don’t know what happened. It felt like the truck was coming apart while I was driving.”

Cook was transported to a hospital and was listed in serious condition.

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Melissa and Steve Cook

CDLLife guest writer Melissa Cook, of My Crazy Life as a Trucker’s Wife, recently hit the road with her husband when just hours into the trip, Cook began getting severe headaches.  A fun trip out together soon turned into a nightmare.

Little did Cook know that her trip out with her husband might have saved his life.

By: Melissa Cook

I never go out on trips with my husband. We have 4 children, animals and a home to run. He brings home the bacon and I fry it so to speak, but school is out and our 7 -year-old twins went with their aunt for a 3- week vacation, and the 2 oldest are at home with my husband’s long time best friend.

What a perfect opportunity, he says! Come on the road with me, he says… I say OK and agree to conquer my worse fear.

Traffic anxiety is something I’ve always dealt with, so this was something I was really not too keen on doing, but something told me that all the cards were lining up, and if you have a big family like we do, you know this is something that rarely happens.

We got loaded and proceed to hit the road for 2 weeks.

About an hour into our trip, I developed a terrible headache. I popped some Tylenol hoping it would go away but didn’t.

I became nauseous and told my husband I needed to stop and use the restroom. My headache went away almost instantly with some fresh air. We ate and got back on the road. I kept smelling the faint smell of exhaust but figured it was due to the windows being down.

Steve, my husband, insisted he couldn’t smell anything even though I could.

Several times that evening, I smelled the exhaust but didn’t think much of it. I figured it’s his truck, he knows it, I don’t, so I didn’t want to push the issue and make him think I was just trying to get out of going.

We stopped at a truck stop for the night to sleep. He turned on the bunk AC and there it was! That SMELL again!

Of course he couldn’t smell it, so I laid down and fell asleep unaware of the hidden danger.

We awoke 3 hours later, and I had a huge headache again, felt very wobbly on my feet and had severe flu-like symptoms.

I thought I was just catching a cold due to the change and bad sinuses, but when we went into the truck stop, ate and washed up, I felt 100% better! Headache gone!  Woo hoo!

We proceed to hammer down and lo and behold, back comes the post nasal drip, burning eyes again and shortness of breath. I couldn’t concentrate and was very irritable. This time I chalked it up to lack of sleep, but when I rolled  down the windows for fresh air, I felt a bit better.

On the third day into our trip, I told Steve “Something is wrong. I smell exhaust fumes and they are getting worse!”

He says, “Honey I don’t smell it.”

I felt almost like he was calling me a liar again which made me mad. I looked up CO2 poisoning online and this is what I found:

According to the Mayo Clinic, the signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include:

Dull headache
Weakness
Dizziness
Nausea
Vomiting
Shortness of breath
Confusion
Blurred vision
Loss of consciousness

“Carbon monoxide poisoning can be especially dangerous for people who are sleeping or intoxicated. The fumes may be fatal before anyone realizes there’s a problem,” the Mayo Clinic states.

BINGO! That’s been my problem the whole time!

After I read the symptoms to Steve, he proceeded to tell me he has headaches all the time and feels sleepy, BUT not enough to fall asleep at the wheel– just tired all the time. His eyes burned, as well, and were constantly red.

We stopped to get gas and he smelled the exhaust coming from under the hood. He figured we just had a small leak, called Iowa 80 and made an appointment.

Once we got to Iowa 80, we took showers, ate and felt refreshed.

The mechanics, called and informed him that the exhaust system was NOT leaking and if there was a problem it couldn’t be fixed there.

Steve says “let’s go get the truck and get some sleep.”

Are you SERIOUS? No WAY am I sleeping in that exhaust smelling truck!

I threw a fit and absolutely REFUSED to sleep in the truck with him and threatened to rent a car and go home. He realized I was serious when I started crying.

He called his boss at 1AM (2AM her time) and told her the situation and that he believed me, even though he didn’t smell anything.

She told him if he felt that strongly about it, to take the truck to a place in Illinois (which is where my hubby’s company is located) and they would look at it.

TAAAAADAAAAA!!!! Found the problem! They originally thought it was a cracked head, they found that the bolt going into the manifold had broke and it was blowing exhaust right into the air system on the passenger side, which is why I could smell it but not him.

He is also a smoker so he constantly has CO2 in his blood which is why it effected me worse then him.

We had a mild case of carbon monoxide poisoning and were lucky. Some are not so lucky and never wake up.

I urge anyone that has a loved one in the truck driving industry to invest in a carbon monoxide detector, which are relatively cheap and can be bought at any department store.

There are many long-term effects of this nasty, odorless gas as well as short term exposure. If you smell exhaust, you ARE inhaling carbon monoxide. Better to be safe and have your truck looked at then the unthinkable happening.

I truly believe that if I wouldn’t have been with him this trip, he wouldn’t have made it home to me. When the auto tech confirmed that, I cried. My husband means the world to me. This has been an experience that I will never forget, nor do I ever want to relive again.

Follow Cook’s adventures on the road on My Crazy Life as a Trucker’s Wife.

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The FMCSA has ordered a Boston-based passenger carrier to immediately cease all operations, declaring the carrier, its buses and its employees an “imminent hazard to public safety.”

Last week, the FMCSA issued an OOS order to Lucky River Transportation, stating that the company’s 21 motor coaches don’t meet minimum FMCSA safety standards.

The FMCSA began investing the carrier when two of the carrier’s BASIC scores fell below the threshold for intervention.

During several investigations, FMCSA investigators discovered a laundry list of violations. According to a statement from the FMCSA, investigators found that Lucky Star failed to ensure that its fleet met minimum safety standards and that the company did “systematically and properly inspect, repair or maintain the vehicles”

In addition, “Investigators also found that the owners of Lucky Star failed to monitor and ensure that its drivers complied with controlled substances and alcohol use and testing regulations. Drivers were employed before receiving negative pre-employment drug and alcohol test results as required by federal law. Drivers were not required by the company to turn in hours-of-service records or other required documentation such as driving itineraries and fuel receipts.”

“There is no higher priority than safety,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Bus and truck companies must comply with federal safety regulations, which protect every traveler on our highways and roads. Companies that disregard the safety rules will not be allowed to operate.”

A copy of the imminent hazard out-of-service order can be viewed atwww.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/about/news/2013/LuckyStar.pdf.

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Vehicle MakeModelModel Year(s) 

• INTERNATIONALPROSTAR2012-2013
• INTERNATIONALTRANSTAR2012-2013

SUMMARY:

Navistar is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 International brand ProStar and TranStar commercial trucks, manufactured from August 01, 2011, through June 12, 2012, and equipped with front brake linings listed as feature codes 0504501 or 0504504. The brake S-Cam tube bracket assemblies on the steer axles may fracture.

CONSEQUENCE:

Brake assembly fractures may result in an inoperative brake on the affected wheel. This will cause the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly during breaking and/or increase the stopping distance. Either result may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.

REMEDY:

Navistar will notify owners, and dealers will replace S-Cam tube bracket assemblies free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin by August 23, 2013. Owners may contact Navistar at 1-800-448-7825.

NOTES:

This recall campaign has been superseded by recall campaign 13V-231. Navistar’s recall campaign number is 12530. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

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With the clock ticking louder by the minute, all will be watching and awaiting the outcome of the House Transportation Committee’s hearing and decision regarding the upcoming HOS changes– which are scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2013.

On Tuesday, June 18, 2013, the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit will hold a hearing on the upcoming HOS changes.

The Subcommittee may approve the FMCSA’s changes to HOS or send the rule back to the FMCSA for revision.

The ATA has repeatedly requested the FMCSA push back the effective date until the Subcommittee could render its final decision on the changes.

So far, those requests have been denied.

Watch the live webcast here on Tuesday, June 18, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. EST.

Highways and Transit | 2167 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 | Jun 18, 2013 10:00am

Witnesses

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On Monday, a federal judge accepted a guilty plea from the CEO of a Port Arthur, Texas chemical company for the poisoning death of two drivers.

In July 2012, a grand jury indicted Matthew Bowman, CEO of defunct chemical company Port Arthur Chemical and Environmental Services (PACES) for the deaths of truck drivers Joey Sutter and Charles Sittig.

Prosecutors said that Bowman’s actions led to the death of the drivers.

According to the Courthouse News Service, Sutter died of asphyxia and poisoning by hydrogen sulfide inhalation and Sittig died from acute myocardial infraction.

The indictment states that Bowman’s company ”did not have permits to treat hazardous waste, recycle waste oil and treat commercial wastewater during the relevant periods of this indictment.”

Last month, Bowman pleaded guilty to two of the 13 charges.  He pleaded guilty to violating the Occupational Safety and Heath Act and causing Sutter’s death.  In addition, Bowman pleaded guilty to making a false statement, which stemmed from “a hazardous waste manifest Bowman drafted that misidentified wastewater as coming from [Bowman's other company] when it was, in fact, coming from PACES.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone accepted Bowan’s guilty plea.

Bowman faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

“The plea agreement reached today sends a strong signal to all who would illegally transport hazardous materials,” said Max Smith, regional Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General.  “Working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial colleagues, we will continue our efforts to ensure safety in the transport of these materials and vigorously pursue those who violate the law.”

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A German truck driver films a wrong-way driver traveling down the German Autobahn.

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This truck is having a hard time keeping all of its wheels on the ground.  The truck is swaying and swerving throughout the video.  Finally, what appeared to be the inevitable happened.

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We hope this video will brighten your day as you think about how you can impact others while on the road. It’s nice to see people doing what they can to make a difference, no matter how big or small it may be.

Have you witnessed an unselfish act of kindness recently? Let us hear your story in the comments section.

Have a great day!

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A convoy trucks hit the road in Canada to protest what they call Quebec’s unfair treatment of Ottawa’s truck drivers.

The drivers took to the Champlain Bridge, briefly bring traffic to a halt.

The Ottawa drivers say they’re fed up with being pushed out of Quebec.  They say that they have to fight through a mountain of red tape and they’re targeted with “incessant inspections stops” simply because of where they’re from.

“They just harass you so bad that I sent all my rights back and everything for Quebec because I wouldn’t go any more,” truck driver Gord Griffith of Russell, Ontario, told CTV News.

Ron Barr, the head of the Greater Ottawa Truckers Association told CTV News that Ottawa treats Quebec workers fairly.  He said that dozens of Quebec companies do snow removal for the city of Ottawa without being registered to work in Ontario.

“We go over there. We’re compliant. We get stopped. They go over here, they’re not even checked,” he said.

“It’s a long-running dispute, and Jack MacLaren wants to return to a level playing field. The Carleton-Mississippi Mills MPP has re-introduced the “Fairness is a Two-Way Street” Act calling for retaliatory restrictions on Quebec companies looking for work in Ontario. It was first enacted by Mike Harris in 1999, and repealed by Dalton McGuinty in 2006,” CTV News reported.

“This will slam the door on Quebec. Quebecers will lose jobs. But we’re going to protect Ontario jobs,” says MacLaren.”

Ottawa drivers would like to see Quebec lift restrictions on both sides of the border, which would allow for more competition and fairness.

To read more about the ongoing dispute, follow this link to the Ottawa Citizen.  

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