Major Case Draws Attention to Common Problem

Perhaps the death of seven motorcyclists will finally draw national and state attention to an ongoing problem that puts the lives of thousands at risk every day. The incident occurred on June 21st, 2019, in New Hampshire, when a semi piloted by a 23 year old driver veered off course and struck the group of bikers.

Though the accident occurred in New Hampshire, attention quickly shifted to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Registry of Motor Vehicles when it became clear that the driver implicated in the seven deaths should have had his commercial driver’s license revoked due to driving under the influence in a different state. The citation had been reported to Massachusetts, but Massachusetts did nothing.

Ensuring truck drivers maintain clean driving records is of absolute importance, as any indication that a person behind the wheel of a multi-ton vehicle is not behaving in a safe manner should result in that driver losing their clearance. Though all cars and trucks pose safety risks to other drivers, few can cause as much destruction as quickly as a big rig.

States must be attentive to reports coming in from other states regarding driver behavior. In particular, care should be taken to act when presented with evidence of:

• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Driving while impaired by fatigue or other factors
• Reckless driving

States grant their Motor Vehicle Departments and Transportation Departments the authority to revoke CDLs for a reason. The public trusts that unsafe truck drivers will be removed from the road proactively. If that had happened in this case, seven more people would still be alive.

If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in an accident with a semi driver, access to the driving history of the person behind the wheel of the truck is important. In many cases, the driver will have a history of unsafe driving. Please consult with an experienced attorney about your case, and about how to get access to the information you need.