Most don’t understand or appreciate the dangers truck driver face on the road each day. Nearly everyday, we see headlines about drivers who have lost their lives working to bring Americans the goods they need to survive.
It is a tragedy that a driver would have to lose his or her life while preforming his or her job. It’s also a tragedy that many will never know the sacrifice drivers and their families make on a daily basis. Consumers go to the store and purchase their items without giving a second thought to how the items got there.
More than 900 truck drivers die on the job each year. It is important that we do our best to honor and recognize those who have lost their lives while working to keep America moving.
On Friday, at approximately 5:30 p.m., a truck driver lost control of his truck while traveling south along Interstate 85 in Franklin County, Georgia, near exit 164.
Franklin County Sheriff Stevie Thomas said the truck ran off of the interstate, rolled and burst into flames, the Independent Mail reported.
By the time rescuers arrived, it was too late– the truck was consumed by fire. The driver died at the scene.
Everything at the scene was charred beyond recognition, including the any identifiable information on the driver and the company he or she worked for.
The driver’s remains were sent to the GBI Crime Lab for identification.
“The DNA didn’t work because everything was burned so bad,” Thomas said. “The dental records also didn’t work, so we had to go another avenue.”
Crash scene investigators were able to find a vehicle identification number on the truck. It has been traced to a materials supplier in Alabama.
“What we’re doing is we’re going to back track supposedly to the last drop the driver made and hopefully they will be able to tell us who the driver is. From there, we’re going to go sit down with his family in Alabama,” Thomas told the Independent Mail.
Investigators are working with the materials supply company to identify the driver. At this time, they have not positively identified the driver.
CDLLife will continue to follow this story and will bring you updates as they come available.