Meth and fatigue blamed for crash involving truck driver Benjamin Brewer that killed 6 on I-75 near Ooltewah, Tennessee
Feds: Fatigue, meth were likely cause of crash that killed 6
A hair test administered under an unrelated court order less than three months before the wreck had also turned out positive for meth.
NTSB: Meth & fatigue caused deadly I-75 crash
According to the NTSB report, Brewer's blood tested positive for methamphetamine use, which investigators determined "degraded his driving performance."
The investigation also found that although he had the "opportunity for overnight rest" before the crash, Brewer had likely gone without "sustained rest for 40 hours prior to the accident."
They also cited a failure of Brewers' employer, Cool Runnings Express, for failing to identify risk factors in his pre-employment screening process. The report stated that the company did not have Brewers' entire driving history, including previous accidents.
Attorney Says Police Did Not Have Probable Cause To Put Truck Driver Who Caused Horrific Ooltewah Wreck Into Back Of Patrol Car
District Attorney Neal Pinkston disagreed in a hearing before Criminal Court Judge Don Poole. He said, "There was more than probable cause. Six people had been killed and a number of others injured.
Trial Of Truck Driver In Wreck That Claimed 6 Lives At Ooltewah Exit Is Delayed
A new trial date will be selected in court on Monday. The initial jury will be dismissed and a new one chosen later.
Jury Finds Kentucky Truck Driver Guilty In Wreck That Killed 6 People At Ooltewah Exit
A Criminal Court jury from Nashville on Thursday afternoon found Benjamin Scott Brewer guilty as charged on all 12 counts.
Trucker sentenced to 55 years for deadly 2015 crash
A man has been sentenced to 55 years in prison for killing six people and injuring others in 2015 when his tractor-trailer careened into stopped traffic on a Tennessee highway.
Police believe more than 15 people were involved; the exact number is still being determined because multiple groups were taken to local hospitals.
Why every fatality from a crash is not legally a wrongful death
After someone dies in a motor-vehicle accident, grieving family members and friends are often left with many questions. What caused the accident? Could it have been avoided? What do they do now that their loved one is gone?
Sometimes a fatal collision happens through no one's fault. Crashes caused by weather and road conditions, or by wildlife in the roadway, are examples. But when a fatal crash is caused by negligence, then family members should pursue a wrongful death claim, to uphold the victim's rights and begin the financial recovery process. Learn more about wrongful death accidents and claims here.
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