Sleepy Trucker Killed Trooper
- A trucker who slammed into a state trooper's squad car on Interstate 294, killing him in a fiery crash, told police he had fallen asleep at the wheel and strayed onto the left shoulder, according to a preliminary report.
Trooper James Sauter, 28, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident south of Willow Road on March 28.
According to the preliminary report, the 25-year-old trucker from Wisconsin was traveling south on I-294 shortly before 11 p.m. The report indicates the "driver fell asleep, veered left and struck (the squad car) in the rear while still parked on the left shoulder."
The trucker was initially issued a ticket for improper lane usage but it was dismissed on April 15, according to State Police Spokeswoman Monique Bond. "We are pursuing stronger charges," she said.
The investigators are looking very closely at the Log Book.
Labels: officer down
posted by SCC at 12:05 AM
49 Comments:
This raises an interesting issue. Recent research indicates that Sleep Driving is responsible for a number of vehicle crashes, some fatal and rarely is the driver held accountable. Blood tests cannot determine if you were in a state of micro-sleep when you crashed. So will those who love to pass laws that control every aspect of our lives now decide to make Sleep Driving a specific violation of law? Remember, many DUI drivers did not start that day intending to be DUI. In some cases they may have simply consumed alcohol beyond their reflexes, just as the Sleep Driver drives beyond his/her ability to stay awake. Baby"G"
Holiday weekend? You know the guy was running to get home. Trucking is an awful industry, they need to go after the company and the driver.
Damn! That's fucked up. At least the driver had the stones to admit what happened. However, a good person is dead and another one has to live with his stupid choice to not pull over, for the rest of his life. If it's proven that the trucking company was pushing for this guy to finish his route under some sort of time constraints, they should pay through the nose & be barred from ever doing business in Illinois again!
A major flaw of our Highway system is that trucks and cars use the same roads.
SAD
Monique Bond? Boy she still gets around.
We all have Jimmy Carter to thank for this,for it was he,who pushed for trucking deregulation in the 70's.
Holiday weekend? You know the guy was running to get home. Trucking is an awful industry, they need to go after the company and the driver.
What do you know about the trucking industry?
I still have declared war on truckers, and I slide onto the highway to write them a few times a week
Working Friday night, and a message comes over the PDT. Looking for volunteers to work 016,Sunday 3rd watch , early or late car.WTF!We aren't too short staffed in 016, are we? While you work VRI, the shitheads are running all over the place.
This is a sad situation all around. I commend this truck driver for being honest. He could easily have said nothing and then consult with a defense attorney and he could make a strong legal case/story up that would hold in court and all he would do is be fine. But he was honest. A trooper is dead and this truck driver will have to deal with it for his life.
It's also interesting how some people choose responsibility over irresponsibility. A few years ago there was a fatality at Cicero and Barry. The driver crashed into a car at Cicero and School and headed south bound at a high rate of speed. He then crashed into another car at Cicero and Barry and he told the detectives his Toyota accelerated by itself and he couldn't stop the car. A few months later he went to court and all serious charges were tossed and he just paid a few hundred dollars in ticket and court fees. A few hundred dollars.
O/T but of interest
http://www.policeone.com/Gun-Legislation-Law-Enforcement/articles/6209353-Pawnshop-sued-in-Chicago-officers-death/
The Chicago Police Department Honor Guard will be conducting a 24 hour vigil at the Gold Star Families Memorial and Park. The Honor Guard will begin the guard detail at 0001 hours on Tuesday, April 30th 2013 and will conclude the vigil at 2359 hours. All members are encouraged to attend and pay tribute to our fallen. Anyone interested in honoring those who have served the Department may bring flowers or a wreath and the Honor Guard Members will ceremoniously place the flowers for you. Units are encouraged to send members during the time of the vigil. Should you have any questions please contact the Special Activities Section at 5-5844.
I'm no expert here, but I believe the Federal Laws (hours of service) for truckers are causing more accidents.
If a driver wants to take a three hour nap/rest period, he cannot resume driving for 10 hours.
Example;
(11-Hour Driving Limit;
May drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty).
"...& be barred from ever doing business in Illinois again!"
Every company should be so lucky. A better punishment is the company can only do business in Illinois. They will go bankrupt in no time.
Monique Bond is another incompetent Democratic party hack.
OT: but here are 2 SOLUTIONS to pension crises before the pension dries up and blows away-for us and future retirees. Regardless of rank we ALL get the same pension according to time on the job. Fuck the white shirts. Yall made big bucks while on the job. Exempts-Dan Alvarad-was a commdr who could not spell Police. Kept getting dumped lower and lower in command spot where all he did in Neighborhood relations was go to the gym at 35th St and TRY to work out. Then come back and tell all his suckholes how great a cop he was. Gets 115,000 dollar a year pension for being a member of the HDO and driving his exempt new car home. Useless prick was so dumb and lazy he would have one of his lackeys to gas it up and get it washede. #2 fuck disability unless you are fucked up for life. I know a PO who was on job for 8 yrs and claimed IOD. Fuck wasn't even injured while working. 23 yrs collecting what I make while working. His is tax-free and free health. He works full time and has million dollar home. Hi Mike SArt
Motor Carrier Safety violations (MCS)carry no extra weight. Log book violation not unusual. Same fine as a regualr citation issued. Look at Chapter 18b of the Illinois Vehicle Code, where legislators adopted federal MCS regulations. Company/driver still liable either way, their insurance will pay, it just a regular ticket. Oh and it goes on the companies record, their insurance costs will increase. Which they do anyway with a crash and violations by drivers.
Moe-neek still gobbling at the public trough.
Very reliable source told me the trucker had burns on his arms from trying to get Troop out of car. Sad deal all around. Should have pulled over.w
two sets of books, you don't REALLY think they are resting for the proper time !!!!
OT we should do something like this
http://www.foxnews.mobi/quickPage.html?page=22995&external=2112641.proteus.fma
Off Topic but who is now guarding play rev rhymin jessies Operation Push on Saturday Morning's collection for 10 minutes now that Ramey and Sg Scalis be gone. Tour of duty. What a fuckin scam even when the rhymin FOOL was out of the country whippin his game overseas. Dint sgt scalise assign 2 po to that BS. oh yea bird song.
Missing an important point here. The driver was in the left lane. Truckers do not belong in the left lane it is against the law. And yet you see them do it all of the time on the expressways and the main streets through Chicago like Cicero and Harlem. Many truckers drive like maniacs. They ride the far left lane,they tailgate, they speed. I really hope state troopers start writing these cowboys now.
The 'true' tragedy here is that we lost a 'brother.'
Rest in Peace Sir.
well let not rush to judgement this subject might have sleep apnea is not funny its serious .
everyone like to talk out of there ass without knowing the fact you are a bunch of idiots .
what is it in 20th district they assign officer on foot patrol and they sit there tired asses in the station good job keep waisting the money by having 3 or more officers on the desk.
W.G.A.S. (who gives a shit) said...
We all have Jimmy Carter to thank for this,for it was he,who pushed for trucking deregulation in the 70's.
4/27/2013 08:09:00 AM
Tha administrations of four presidents worked to pass various deregulation measures inculding the Motor Carrier act of 1980. Three of four of these administrations were Republican and you rag on Jummy Carter but not Nixon, Ford or Reagan.
How come? I am in my mid 60's and have first hand knowledge of this stuff. How about you? Deregulation has ruined every segment or industry that had it.
Banking, mortgage banking, Savings and Loan, airlines, stock market, trucking, transportation in general, you name it. Deregulate it and it goes to hell. No matter Republican or Democrat. You cannot trust those in charge to keep their hands out of the big, rich cookie jar and do things right.
Honor guard announcement should be on home page.
Apparently you can now drive 14 hours a day legally. That's really not that much. If it tires these guys out, they need a new line of work. You can log up to 8 hours of sleeper berth and 2 hours of off duty, but not with a break. So if this guy was tired, either, they ran him hard or he was just tired. I've always told my family, "stay away from truck drivers, they're 90% new guys, with less than 2 years experience." Same goes for all you folks in Blue. Be safe.
It's also interesting how some people choose responsibility over irresponsibility. A few years ago there was a fatality at Cicero and Barry. The driver crashed into a car at Cicero and School and headed south bound at a high rate of speed. He then crashed into another car at Cicero and Barry and he told the detectives his Toyota accelerated by itself and he couldn't stop the car. A few months later he went to court and all serious charges were tossed and he just paid a few hundred dollars in ticket and court fees. A few hundred dollars.
While that may suck, the fact is that unintended acceleration in vehicles is a real industry-wide problem. Toyota was forced to recall 10 million cars because of the issue. Most manufacturers have had issues. Driver error may also be an issue.
Especially when you get into these newer cars with drive-by-wire throttles and fully computerized drive trains.
Add fully automated and integrated HVAC, radio, BlueTooth, Smartphone/iPhone interfacing, WiFi, OnStar, who knows what is going on with all those electrons bouncing around in the car?
Wait until the hackers start going after cars....
Most drivers have no idea what to do and panic. Put both feet on the brakes and/or switch the key off.
A similar case in California. Drive claimed car just "took off" on him and killed some people. At trial the manufacturers reps came in and testified that they found no problem. (like they would admit it) Driver convicted and went to prison.
3 years later and several similar incidents with same make and model of vehicle and car maker acknowledged problem. Driver released from prison.
I know Cook County is totally corrupt and no one that knows the court system here has any faith in it. But don't judge too quickly.
CPD Officers thank you for the show support for our fallen Trooper. Our second Trooper in 5 months KIA. Please know that we greatly appreciate your brother hood and back up. Also if you want to stops truckers or semis you do not need PC to stop them. Stop them for a safety check and ask them to see their DLs which should be a CDL, their medical card and shipping papers. The medical card is a requirement and valid for 2 years. Most truckers are honest and hard working however the drug and guns are getting into the city many ways and yet these guys are never stopped. Now you know how and why to stop them and get into their business.
Respectfully a Road Trooper
What do you know about the trucking industry?
Been working with trucking since 2005. United Van Lines was the company for the truck IIRC, and they do moving, mostly owner operators. The joke is most OO's are one breakdown away from bankruptcy, and IME, it's not far wrong for a large number of them. Hours of service limits are 14hrs duty and 11hrs driving, then 10hrs to rest. No more than 70hrs straight, then a 34hr reset period. If there's any issues; breakdown, delay in loading or whatever, that screws up the plan and now you're stuck somewhere on the road? No, they just drive it out and BS the logs.
It was a holiday weekend, and a lot of these guys are out on the road away from home for monthes at a time. OK, you'll notice these OO trucks have huge sleepers, like a motel room, which is nice, but still, away from home for monthes? No one will ever KNOW, but smart money would bet the guy was killing it to get home for the holiday.
Yeah, the driver was burned, he tried to save the trooper. A lot of truckers are decent hardworking folks, just stuck in a bad spot. IMO, this guy made a poor decision and now he'll have to deal with it. Not evil, just a poor decision. Decisions have consequences.
The evil thing is that OTR drivers are paid by the mile. So more miles per hour directly equals more dollars per hour. You can try and do the "gun control" nazi thing and do speed governors, electronic logs and all sorts of control freak stuff, but the basic economic incentive is to go faster, so drivers will find a way. Same dynamic as tyrant politicians who want to control guns rather than controlling criminals. Crime pays off, so more crime. Driving faster pays better, so they drive faster.
Sure the truck wasn't supposed to be in the passing lane, but the guy was asleep. 80k lbs at 70mph operated by some guy who's been awake for 24+hrs who's undoubtedly in less than peak physical condition. No happy ending to that story.
Still very sad. RIP my friend.
Anonymous said...
Missing an important point here. The driver was in the left lane. Truckers do not belong in the left lane it is against the law. And yet you see them do it all of the time on the expressways and the main streets through Chicago like Cicero and Harlem. Many truckers drive like maniacs. They ride the far left lane,they tailgate, they speed. I really hope state troopers start writing these cowboys now.
4/27/2013 07:07:00 PM
You must have missed the part of the story where it said the driver fell asleep. If he was asleep I'm guessing he didn't know what lane he was in, but your point is well taken most of these truckers drive like assholes.
No body has placed him on Officerdown yet.
http://www.odmp.org/search/year/2013?ref=sidebar
This is why IDOT requires a sleep apnea screen for all truckers.
"I still have declared war on truckers, and I slide onto the highway to write them a few times a week"
Hey officer, you my friend are an asshole! Not all truck drivers drive like assholes, just like not all cops are assholes (like you)! I go out of my way to drive safe and its no fair to "declare war on truckers" when 95% of truckers follow the laws. My condolences to the Officer and his loved ones.
how many pensions is Monique going to get? Let's see, Mayor's office, Dept of Aviation, Chicago Police Dept, Illinois State Police etc, etc
Anonymous said...
I'm no expert here, but I believe the Federal Laws (hours of service) for truckers are causing more accidents.
If a driver wants to take a three hour nap/rest period, he cannot resume driving for 10 hours.
Example;
(11-Hour Driving Limit;
May drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty).
4/27/2013 11:12:00 AM
You are correct about one thing and that is that you are no expert.
You are absolutely wrong about taking a break/nap, that then turns into 10 hrs before being able to go back to work.
Anonymous said...
Missing an important point here. The driver was in the left lane. Truckers do not belong in the left lane it is against the law. And yet you see them do it all of the time on the expressways and the main streets through Chicago like Cicero and Harlem. Many truckers drive like maniacs. They ride the far left lane,they tailgate, they speed. I really hope state troopers start writing these cowboys now.
4/27/2013 07:07:00 PM
Not true. The area has to be POSTED with the truck lane restrictions. There is no blanket rule. Though you are correct that the drivers of commercial vehicles are getting more aggressive and the problem is, like all agencies the troopers are short handed and in most cases are handling bs calls.
To the post about MCS not carrying weight. The violations may not carry cost weight in court but the violation is recorded by Sec. of State and Feds. If the driver accrues too many MCS violations he can lose his Commercial D/L. Plus the company gets fined by the feds for also getting too many violations. When a driver is cited under MCS and placed out of service, it is a felony to move the vehicle or drive after being cited(the sates atty has gotten much better at approving these instances).
Also to the post about the driver getting burned by helping the trooper , that is false, the impact was very severe and the squad went up immediately, no one was able to get close enough to help.
Banking, mortgage banking, Savings and Loan, airlines, stock market, trucking, transportation in general, you name it. Deregulate it and it goes to hell. No matter Republican or Democrat. You cannot trust those in charge to keep their hands out of the big, rich cookie jar and do things right.
4/27/2013 10:38:00 PM
Ok, I see that generally we are on the same page.I also was around then (58). In fact,during that time I was a truck driver.During that time,I shared the road with the newly (un) trained drivers from ABC driving school, did you ? I still currently possess my CDL,although I haven't had use for it in 20 yrs. As a matter of fact,as a testament to my involvement, I receive a small pension from the teamsters, so please don't lecture me,as if you were the only person around. Although the previous republican administrations may have had input for trucking deregulation,as far as "MY" opinion goes,Jimmy Carter gets the blame for pushing it through. I save my Reagan angst(Pres. Screen Actors Guild),for his hypocritical union busting tactics in regards to the Air Traffic controllers. That is when corporations said, the hell with it,if the gov'ment can screw workers ,so can we !!!!! I lived it ( lost a good job during a strike),had to pay a price and scuffled through tough times,but luckily I survived it. In closing,my point is just that don't assume everyone who post's on a blog is ignorant of the facts,just because you don't agree with them.
Anonymous said...
Missing an important point here. The driver was in the left lane. Truckers do not belong in the left lane it is against the law.
Trucks are allowed in the left lane on the toll roads.
Im not saying that he had sleep apnea. HOWEVER, this is a good reminder that all people with sleeping or snoring problems get tested. If you get sleepy when driving, then get tested. You can avoid high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke if you have apnea and get treated.
Driving sleepy can be as bad as driving drunk: the driver's judgment is seriously impaired.
Doesn't matter if you're only half a mile away from home: if you can't keep your eyes open, pull over and take a nap for an hour.
Anonymous said...
Anonymous said...
Missing an important point here. The driver was in the left lane. Truckers do not belong in the left lane it is against the law.
Trucks are allowed in the left lane on the toll roads.
That's a negative sir, they are not. If you disagree, come ride along.
D15 Troop
The driver is facing some serious charges. It will take a few months but it will come out. He wasn't so forthcoming until he was pressed.
Anonymous said...
Anonymous said...
Missing an important point here. The driver was in the left lane. Truckers do not belong in the left lane it is against the law.
Trucks are allowed in the left lane on the toll roads.
4/28/2013 07:13:00 PM
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-07-30/news/9307300276_1_illinois-department-lane-illinois-state-police
Welcome to 2013, you can get out of the 90's now.
As a Trooper, many of my fellow officers take it easy on truck drivers and don't ticket them. I cite them when it's necessary because sometimes warnings don't do the job. You would be amazed at the records some of these drivers have. Most drivers are respectful and professional. Those are the ones that get the warnings. When you have a driver doing 75 mph in a 55 mph zone and is making lane changes to pass other vehicles and uses the left lane, that's when you write the citations. Some people don't belong behind the wheel of a big rig. Those are the ones we need to weed out.
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