Ohio truck driver ordered off the road after double fatal crash, drug test failures

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued an out of service order to a truck driver as a result of a string of multiple crashes coupled with multiple drug violations.

The FMCSA says that Ohio truck driver Gregory Alan Barnhart, 33, was served the federal out of service order on October 28, 2019.

From a news release from the FMCSA:

On September 28, 2019, Barnhart, a commercial driver’s license (CDL) holder, was operating a commercial truck on State Route 534 in Milton Township, Ohio, when his vehicle crossed the center line into the oncoming traffic lane, resulting in a collision with a cargo van killing its driver and a passenger. 

Following the crash, Barnhart was cited for driving while under the influence of a Schedule I drug.  Barnhart also tested positive for one or more Schedule II controlled substances for which he did not possess a valid prescription.  

On September 29, 2019, Barnhart’s employer directed him to submit to a post-accident control substances testing, which is mandated by federal regulations and required to occur within 32 hours of a fatal crash.  Barnhart failed to meet this requirement.  He was subsequently terminated by his employer who deemed his failure as a refusal to submit to a control substance test.

On October 11, 2019, Barnhart was driving a non-CMV along Interstate 76 in Milton Township, Ohio, when the vehicle left the roadway, traveled into the ditch, overturned and struck a tree. A passenger was transported to the hospital. 

In the aftermath of the October crash, Barnhart was arrested and charged by the Ohio State Highway Patrol for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

According to local news outlet WKBN, Barnhart has been booked into jail at least 15 times since 2014 on charges ranging from DUI, burglary, drug charges, and weapons charges.

In addition to the out of service order, the FMCSA says that Barnhart could also face a civil penalty enforcement proceeding for violating safety regulations.