Posted on 08/31/2019 1:32:45 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Guilford fell asleep after utility work briefly halted traffic on Interstate 10 near Palm Springs. His truck did not begin moving when traffic started flowing again. The tour bus, carrying gamblers back from a desert casino, slammed into the rear of his truck at 76 mph (122 kph), killing the bus driver and a dozen passengers. Twenty-nine people were injured.
Officials said Guilford had fallen asleep after he illegally drove for too many hours. Investigators had determined that in the four days before the crash, Guilford had driven well over the permitted maximum number of hours, tried to hide the violations by falsifying his daily log and had, at best, only seven possible hours of sleep in the 24 hours before the crash.
Prosecutors had asked the judge in a sentencing memorandum to give him the maximum penalty of 32 years and eight months
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
“Prosecutors had asked the judge in a sentencing memorandum to give him the maximum penalty of 32 years and eight months”
Isn’t that more than Murder in the First?
Dummo, but considering that his truck was rear-ended, it seems maybe a tad excessive?
I’m a bit confused. I assume his lights were still on, right? Maybe he was just over the peak of a hill or something?
32 years seems excessive. The families or the 13 dead might disagree.
When you drive into the rear of a stopped vehicle at highway speed the fault is yours. There are a million reasons a vehicLe might be stopped in the roadway. This guy didn’t cause the accident, period.
Like I said, I’m confused.
Seems a little too much.
Certainly he was in the wrong, but what about the bus driver that as going 76 MPH in a work area?
In fact 76 is a little bit fast for a bus. I would suspect the bus tires were not rated for that speed.
Had the other traffic not moved on because the work would not have allowed it at that time, the bus would have hit the truck.
The truck driver should have been punished to the max allowed for his overtime.
in regard to this trucker, since the bus driver that actually caused the accident and killed all those people the PC prosecutor just HAD TO HAVE a scapegoat....
As I understand the situation. The truck / traffic was
stopped. When it started back up the driver was asleep
and apparently traffic has cleared to the point it was
moving at normal speeds. He was in the lane not moving
and was rear ended.
Not really.
The defendant fell asleep with his truck stopped in the road because he violated the law in driving beyond time limits. The speed limit for the bus was 70mph. The accident was totally the defendants fault.
There are exceptions to the general rule, like when the act of the defendant violated the law causing the vehicle to be stopped on the roadway.
The speed limit in that area is 70 mph for autos and buses.
Yeah but nurses and drs who work back to back shifts dont jeopardize 15-20 peoples lives at the same time like drivers of 20000 pound trucks do.
The comparison doesnt fit.
“Having trouble picturing this crash. So the truck wasn’t moving when a tour bus rear ended it?”
Me too. I generally try to slow down when approaching a large truck that stopped, regardless of whether it’s because the driver of the truck fell asleep or any other reason.
Because his reckless conduct directly led to the crash.
By the way he plead guilty to all the charges. I assure you that if your view of the law was as you seem to believe it is he would have gone to trial.
I can’t see it. He contributed. He played a part. But not the critical part. How long do you have to not be paying attention to miss a stopped vehicle while your going 76 mph. Man you can’t even be looking. Your eyes have to be somewhere else.
If the truck had been stopped because it had broken down, the bus people would still be dead.
You are not familiar with that freeway. It is a wide 4 lane freeway where the speed limit is 70. There is no reason that the bus driver would think a sole truck would be stopped in the middle of the freeway. None
I have not driven in FL for many years, but in many states drivers are warned for a long distance ahead that they are entering a work ares, that lanes are closed, that fines are double standard and that speed limits are reduced.
With the emphasis on safety in road construction areas, I would expect the same in FL.
Even if not, it is not unusual to be surprised by a breakdown in or partially in the highway....even in the wee hours of the morning.
My point being that all drivers have a duty to practice self preservation.
And 76 miles per hour in a work area is criminal in itself.
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