The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has ordered a Connecticut-based motor carrier to cease operations after a fatal crash occurred while the company was already under investigation.
On June 23, 2022. Orange, Connecticut-based Alvarez Transport LLC was declared an “imminent hazard” to public safety and issued a federal out of service order.
According to the FMCSA, a compliance investigation of Alvarez Transport began on May 25, 2022. During that investigation, the FMCSA investigators “discovered extensive acute and/or critical violations in almost every part of the FMCSRs that they reviewed.”
FMCSA investigators have reported finding “continued widespread noncompliance with Federal safety regulations including regulations in 49 CFR Part 382 (Controlled Substances and Alcohol Use and Testing), 49 CFR Part 383 (Commercial Driver’s License Standards; Requirements and Penalties), 49 CFR Part 391 (Qualifications of Drivers), and 49 CFR Part 396 (Vehicle Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance).”
While the compliance investigation was still underway, on June 2, 2022, a crash claimed the life of a an Alvarez Transport driver and a passenger.
From the FMCSA:
Alvarez Transport, LLC dispatched driver Dante C. Elliott to drive a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) for which a commercial driver’s license is required in interstate commerce from New Haven, Connecticut to Williamstown, Vermont. At the time of dispatch, the motor carrier had in its records a copy of Mr. Elliott’s driver’s license that showed it was expired. While attempting to navigate a sharp curve on Vermont Route 64 in this CMV, Mr. Elliott left the traveled portion of the roadway, the CMV slid into a ditch, overturned, and then came to a position of uncontrolled rest on its roof. Both Mr. Elliott and his passenger were killed in the crash. Witnesses reported that the CMV’s brakes were smoking before the crash, and a post-crash inspection discovered several out-of-service vehicle conditions. Local law enforcement is still in the process of investigating this crash.