Sheriff finds truck driver with marijuana but no valid CDL following crash that led to train derailment in Georgia

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) arrested a semi truck driver for various violations after his truck struck a train in Georgia on Wednesday morning.

Around 3 a.m. on May 6, MCSO responded to a call about an overturned tractor-trailer on Highway 83 North at Berner Loop in Macon County, Georgia.

The truck driver reportedly told deputies that “he observed the railroad crossing arm down with the lights flashing and the approaching train too late to stop.”

The truck driver told police he applied the brakes and steered to avoid the train, but this caused the semi truck to overturn and strike one of the train cars.

MCSO said that the preliminary investigation indicates that the overturning semi truck caused the train car to derail.

Florida-based semi truck driver Kheino Bennett, 44, was arrested following the crash for possession of marijuana (less than an ounce), possession of drug related objects, and operation of a commercial motor vehicle without a valid license or driving privileges.

Highway 83 North at Berner Loop has reopened.