Feds: Truck Driver In Double Fatality Crash Hid Diabetes Diagnosis

Federal investigators say that a box truck driver involved in a crash that killed two on the Maine Turnpike concealed his diabetes diagnosis in order to continue to operate across state lines.

Driver Not Medically Certified At The Time Of Fatal Crash

On November 18 2016, box truck driver John Kamau was involved in a crash in I-95 in York County, Maine. Kamau reportedly failed to slow for traffic and crashed into a passenger vehicle, pushing it into the tractor trailer in front of it. Both the passenger vehicle driver and a five year old boy in the car died.

According to federal documents, Kamau was informed in May 2016 that he was an insulin-dependent diabetic, making him ineligible to operate a commercial vehicle across state lines because of the risk of sudden-onset diabetic shock.

Insulin-dependent diabetics can receive a waiver from the FMCSA to drive interstate if they meet certain conditions, but the documents claim that Kamau did not take this step.

Investigators say that Kamau instead visited a different medical examiner four months later and did not disclose his previous diabetes diagnosis. He was given medical clearance to drive.

The documents do not say that diabetes was the cause of the fatal crash, only that Kamau was not properly certified at the time of the crash.

FMCSA Issued Out Of Service Order For Numerous Violations

Kamau was issued an Out of Service order by the FMCSA in December. The order also asserted that Kamau’s company, Kamway Services, violated several serious regulations by failing to produce driver records, records of duty status, or documents proving that the company performed regular inspection and maintenance on their vehicles.

Sources:
The Portland Press-Herald