A trucker felt a ‘guardian angel on his shoulder’ during a recent brake failure crash into a Utah car dealership, he says.
The identity of the 26-year-old truck driver involved in the accident has still not been released, but CL Ranch Transport of Granstville, Utah says that the driver works for them. The owner of the company declined to use his name, but says the company’s “main concern has only been with the families that were involved.” The owner also says that the truck driver is “doing good. He was in the hospital, but he’s doing good.”
“The truck driver and his family and the company are distraught for the people that were in the accident and their families, and they’re in their constant thoughts and prayers,” said Joe Orifici, an attorney representing CL Ranch Transport, to 2KUTV. “We’re grateful that… no one has died to date.”
“The truck driver feels like he had a guardian angel on his shoulder,” said Orifici. “It’s hard. Hard for all involved. It’s tragic.”
The Utah Department of Transportation is investigating the accident, and met with CL Ranch Transport on Wednesday, November 8th as part of that investigation.
“The purpose of the compliance investigation is to take a close look at the safety procedures of the company,” said UDOT spokesman John Gleason. “That includes the maintenance records, the hours of service, how often the drivers are out there, and also the driver qualifications as well. We want to take an in-depth look at all of those factors.”
When asked if the truck was maintained prior to the crash or has been checked for brake problems, the owner said the UDOT inspectors have “all the paperwork” but declined to comment further.