In June 2015, Benjamin Brewer drove his 18-wheeler into a construction zone at about 80mph. Traffic in the construction zone had slowed to crawl, but Brewer made no attempt to evade a collision or brake his rig. He caused a chain-reaction collision that involved 7 cars and 18 people; when the dust settled, six people were dead and more were injured.
How it happened
This past June, the Times Free Press reported, “Brewer was reportedly carrying a time-sensitive load for Cool Runnings under the Marten subcontract when he far exceeded federal truck safety regulations and remained on duty for 50 hours on his way from Kentucky to Florida before returning and crashing in Chattanooga, according to court documents…
The New York Daily News wrote that a National Transportation Safety Board report found that Brewer had not slept for 40 hours before the crash and was impaired by the methamphetamine in his system. In addition, the agency found that Cool Runnings’ employee screening process failed to determine that Brewer had been dismissed from a previous trucking job for illegal drug use. The report will weigh heavily in Brewer’s trial, scheduled for April 2017; he is charged with six counts of vehicular manslaughter and DUI.
Drugs can’t replace sleep
When big business is more concerned with the bottom line than with safety, people suffer. Lack of sleep and long work hours mean that truck drivers are often not thinking clearly. To offset the lack of sleep, many turn to stimulants from caffeine to methamphetamine. Not only do the drugs provide a false sense of alertness, they further cloud the judgment of those responsible for operating an 80,000-pound vehicle.
When bad policy and bad judgment mix, people get hurt. Benjamin Brewer killed six people in a crash that was no accident. For the families of the victims, the worst part of their loss is the knowledge that it was avoidable. At the Rocky McElhaney Law Firm, we fight for victims and their families. We fight for justice; we fight for you. If your loved one was injured or killed in a commercial truck accident, our experienced Nashville commercial truck accident attorneys can evaluate your case and help get you the compensation you deserve. For a free consultation, call 615.246.5549, visit our offices in Nashville, Gallatin or Knoxville, or contact us today.
