Massachusetts truck driver ordered off the road for alcohol violations, fleeing on foot after hitting pole

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has ordered a Massachusetts-based truck driver off the road following a crash in Vermont in late August.

The FMCSA issued a federal order forbidding the operation of a commercial vehicle in interstate commerce to driver William Edward Dearth, Jr. on September 3, 2021.

The out of service order was issued in connection with an incident that occurred on August 25, 2021, on Vermont Route 108 in Lamoille County, Vermont.

The FMCSA says that Dearth was operating a tractor trailer when he left the roadway and crashed into a telephone pole. He then fled the scene on foot and was later arrested after he was located by a Vermont State Police canine unit.

An initial breathalyzer test performed on Dearth showed a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.217. Two additional tests performed an hour later showed BAC levels of BAC of 0.20, and 0.197. The legal limit for a CDL driver is 0.04.

When troopers with Vermont State Police searched the cab of the crashed truck, they found “an opened can of beer in the driver’s cup holder, multiple empty beer cans in the trash, and nearly a case of unopened beer elsewhere in the cab.”

In addition to the out of service order, Dearth has been charged with Driving Under the Influence, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, and Negligent Operation in the state of Vermont.

The FMCSA says that Dearth may not return to operation of commercial vehicles until he successfully completes the statutorily required return-to-duty process overseen by a Substance Abuse Professional.