Cargo valued at $42,000 in exchange for $200 worth of crack cocaine and a prostitute?
This poorly negotiated deal went down recently at a Georgia truck stop, and law enforcement officials say these sorts of illegal dealings are not uncommon. Criminals will wait at truck stops and use a truck driver’s appetite for drugs to score themselves the cargo the driver was carrying, according to a recent report by Channel 2 Action News.
When they reported on it, they came to the Truck Accident Attorneys’ own Michael Goldberg to talk about truckers getting behind the wheel after drinking or using drugs.
That’s because the Truck Accident Attorneys have a strong reputation in trucking cases and a deep knowledge of the issues. They are legal advocates for the innocent drivers who get hurt when drunk or high truck drivers cause accidents.
Goldberg told the television audience that nearly 10% of the cases he handles involve a truck driver who was either drunk or on drugs.
“We’ve seen a number of cases where the drivers had red flags all the way down the line,” Goldberg said on Channel 2. “If somebody had just been paying attention, they would have known this was a prime candidate to use alcohol and drive or to use drugs.”
One Drunk Truck Driver on the Road is Too Many
Federal officials told the station that they don’t keep track of how many truck accidents involve a truck driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which is unfortunate. But the answer should be zero. This is true of those who drive passenger vehicles as well—but a tractor-trailer can do much more damage in an accident due to its massive size and weight and its potentially dangerous cargo.
Investigation Finds Truck Stops a Crime Haven
The investigative report found that truck drivers looking for a fix were willing to offer up the contents of their trucks in exchange for drugs or sex. If these truckers have such little regard for their employer and their job, how much to you think they care about the safety of other drivers on the road?
A retired investigator told the station about one case in which a driver swapped $300,000 in fresh lobster he was carrying for $1,200 in drugs. In the case previously mentioned, the drug dealers took $42,000 in fruit juice in exchange for $200 in drugs and a prostitute.
Of course, not all truck drivers are drug addicts looking for a fix while on the road like the ones featured in the segment. But it’s clear that officials could do better than the random drug testing policy currently in place.
Contact Us
We are committed to holding truck drivers and the companies that employ them accountable for their behavior. Contact us if you or a loved one has been serious hurt in an accident caused by a semi truck, whether or not drugs or alcohol played a role.