Former commercial driver convicted of log falsification
On May 13, a former commercial truck driver was convicted after a two-day trial in U.S. District Court, Madison, Wisconsin, on 5 counts of false statements regarding his record of duty status or “daily log books.”
It was alleged that from August 31 to October 11, 2005, the defendant falsified his daily log books by claiming that he had been in the sleeper berth for the required 10 hours when it was later determined that was not true. On October 16, 2005, the driver provided his daily logs, which were falsified, to a Wisconsin State Patrol Officer after being involved in a deadly accident in the state. During this accident, the defendant’s semi-tractor veered off the highway, tipped over, and slid down the interstate on its side. Within seconds, a bus carrying high school band members and staff struck the truck, causing the deaths of 5 passengers.
In a post-trial interview the jury foreman commented that the jury was convinced by GPS and electronic toll booth data that showed the defendant was driving during periods he claimed to be in the sleeper berth. The driver’s sentencing has been set for July 24, 2009. This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (OIG).
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