(HYATTSTOWN, Md.) – Maryland State Police are investigating the death of a tractor-trailer driver that occurred this morning in Montgomery County.
At approximately 11:30 a.m. this morning, a trooper with the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division at the Hyattstown weigh station placed the victim’s tractor-trailer out of service for brake violations. The vehicle was placed in the out-of-service lot at the facility.
Based on a preliminary investigation, the driver was attempting to make the necessary brake adjustments but had failed to engage the parking brake on the vehicle. As the driver was under the truck, it rolled back and over the driver. The driver was declared deceased at the scene.
The victim has been identified as James Lee Hobbs, 58, of Salisbury, Md. No one else was injured as a result of this incident.
The incident remains under investigation.
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32 comments:
He was told that he could not leave the lot until the repair was completed,but the investigation will determine otherwise.They will insist that they gave him permission to use said lot to complete the repair IF HE CHOSE TO DO SO.He should have left the weigh station and forced them to run him down.I've been there and done that.
Hand brake and wheel chocks when working under the truck!
Trooper needs to be FORED he finds a huge issue like that then allows him to go under the truck and do Repairs ?
Oh let me guess the trooper will deny all of it
That man had kids and grandkids and once again MSP pick on the little guy trying to earn a living POS.
RIP Jimmy
So it's OK if he goes back on the road without proper braking and kills who knows how many people?
The driver chose to go under the truck in an unsafe manner, nobody forced him. He also chose to drive an unsafe vehicle in the first place. Sorry for the family, but his fault.
I agree these troopers act like Nazis they bully people and break the law every day doing 80/90 mph on RT 50 and Nothing is done we're are the supervisors and barrack Commander?
Shame on these Hypocrites.
Unbelievable i knew him and he was a hard working grandfather this money grubbing harrasment from the state is out of control
Shame on MSP.
Right 12:16. I am shocked by their brazen driving locally. The man should not been allowed to do his own repairs and the company should have been contacted and made responsible to send a tow truck or whatever applicable, especially if they deemed it unsafe to drive and/or in need of repairs. Could have possibly saved his life.
For all you people that don't know how air brakes work, or how a parking air brake works, STFU. The driver was attempting to adjust his brakes, after being inspected by the MSP and being told at least one (out of 18)was too far out of specs. Now to educate the morons that know nothing about truck driving or air brakes, you can't adjust the brakes with the parking brake applied.
July 7, 2018 at 10:30 AM:
Come on. Don't be stupid. There is no "hand brake" on a tractor trailer. They are mandated by law to have air brakes.
July 7, 2018 at 12:11 PM:
I'm relatively sure, as a CDL licensed driver with air brake endorsement, that the driver was not operating a semi without any brakes. There are a minimum of 14 and as many as 18 of them on a tractor trailer combination. The driver was able to both slow down, and stop, to pull on the scale, and to move off and stop again for the inspection that found at least one (maybe only one)of the brakes was out of adjustment. The driver probably didn't even notice any diminished ability to stop. It was a minor adjustment, that most drivers know how to do. The harassment of the driver, by making him go through a major inspection of his rig, rather that just a weight check, cost that driver his life. They took the truck out-of-service, and didn't provide either wheel chocks, or a level parking area, for the driver to make the necessary adjustment to put the vehicle back in service. The MSP will deny ANY role in that driver's death (MSP SOP), yet they will change their procedures to prevent it from happening again. Duh.
That family news a lawyer NOW!
"Based on a preliminary investigation, the driver was attempting to make the necessary brake adjustments but had failed to engage the parking brake on the vehicle."
Can't wait for them to have to backtrack on that statement! A driver, or anyone else for that matter, can't adjust the air brakes on a tractor trailer with the parking brake on. That will lock all the brakes and prevent them from being adjusted. The MSP at that inspection station need re-training if they know less than the drivers about how air brakes work. They are not qualified to do truck brake inspections.
1212
Obviously a Troopers wife
RIP James you will be missed unlike the Trooper.
RIP Mr. Hobbs. The MSP harassed you to death.
Do Troopers know that ? Since they KNOW IT ALL.
Good
DEMAND the troopers job and Sue for $50,million and I hope I on that civil case.
The Trooper Absolutely and a dirtbag.
Literally.(((((((
He was a good man.
DOT cares more about revenue than safety! We elected President Trump to eliminate these needless regulations but the peoples republic of Md is going in the opposite direction. Md DOT is like the Gestapo !
Yes, you adjust brakes with the parking brake applied. If you're adjusting trailer brakes, you set the truck brakes. If you're adjusting truck brakes, you set the trailer brakes. If you have a straight truck, you chock it and never lay behind or in front of the tire. You go under the truck, but not in tire line. Yes, I own trucks.
If he's adjusting the truck brakes, he's supposed to set the trailer brakes. If he's adjusting the trailer brakes he needs to set the truck brake. And at neither time do you lay in the tire line.
So many non truck drivers on here commenting when they really don't know what they're talking about.
I grew up with Jimmy and was best friends with him in high school. He was a good man and i will miss him dearly.
I agree 100%
Educate us Snowflake.
Proving yet again that the 1st amendment applies to all...even morons.
I'm amazed how many of the posts attribute the fault to MSP. If you get under a truck, you need to follow basic safety protocols. If you don't and you're injured...that's on you.
As usual, the police did nothing wrong yet the clueless public is called for theirs head. No wonder cops hate the public.
Anonymous said...
Yes, you adjust brakes with the parking brake applied. If you're adjusting trailer brakes, you set the truck brakes. If you're adjusting truck brakes, you set the trailer brakes. If you have a straight truck, you chock it and never lay behind or in front of the tire. You go under the truck, but not in tire line. Yes, I own trucks.
July 8, 2018 at 9:13 AM
Congratulations! You seem to be the only one commenting who knows what they are talking about, even from the so-called truck drivers.
It's not rocket science to adjust brakes when properly trained and instructed. They haven't released enough info yet to determine exactly how this happened. They are intentionally leaving something out.
A good man busting his butt to provide for his family did not go home. Do some people even care? Obviously not judging by most comments. They have no idea what they are talking about but that does not stop them from passing judgment, yet again.
There is no love lost between me and scale house cops or even speed cops. But they do provide a service. (scale cops) Some would be surprised what goes down the highway, right next to them and their families. I had one of those cops tell me that some companies have no service/maintenance program, other than these state inspections. Think about that one for a second.
While some of the things these cops write up are silly nonsense and only intended to generate revenue, most other things are life-saving, for the driver and the public at large.
Years ago I went through my truck front to back and top to bottom to prepare for the 72-hour safety blitz they do each year. When I was inspected they could not find anything wrong to write me up for. In desperation, they noticed the tiny plastic hinges on the box holding the safety triangles were broken. Finally, they had something to write up, even if it was only a warning. That is one of the silly nonsense things I mentioned they sometimes do.
But they also pick up real safety violations too that a driver might miss. That is a help to all concerned. What isn't a help is the attitudes, harassment, and just plain old meanness, disrespect, and intimidation some of those cops direct at truckers.
Sorry, I digress.
My condolences to this man's family and friends. He is bumping a dock in heaven now.
I went to high school with this man. He was a very nice man. RIP Mr. Hobbs. May your soul fly high with GOD and Jesus Christ. You will be truly missed.
And sadly alot of them show it. Thats why i am distrustful of them until proven otherwise
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