Federal inspectors had warned of a possible calamity involving the carrier that owns the truck that initiated a multiple car-pile up near Savannah early Wednesday morning, killing five Georgia Southern University nursing students.
Now, as investigators sort through the wreckage that involved two other tractor trailers, two pickup trucks and two cars, Total Transportation of Mississippi’s driver safety record — worse than 90 percent of comparably sized carriers, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation — has come under increased scrutiny.
“It’s atrocious,” said Bob Cheeley, an attorney who specializes in cases involving catastrophic vehicle accidents. “It’s hard to believe they haven’t been sanctioned yet.”
An investigation by the U.S. Department of Transportation, citing “one or more serious violations within the past 12 months during an investigation,” urged the carrier be “prioritized” for intervention action and roadside inspection.
The report does not necessarily reflect on the driving record of John Wayne Johnson, driver of the truck that Georgia State Patrol says initiated the fatal sequence. Johnson, 55, of Shreveport, Louisiana, has not been charged but the investigation by the Georgia State Patrol continues.
Investigators believe his tractor-trailer plowed into an SUV, then rolled over a passenger car that then burst into flames. The truck came to a halt after slamming into the back of a tanker.
Five nursing students – Emily Clark of Powder Springs, Catherine (McKay) Pittman of Alpharetta, Morgan Bass of Leesburg, Abbie Deloach of Savannah, and Caitlyn Baggett of Millen — died in the 5:45 a.m. crash in Bryan County about 20 miles from Savannah.
Megan Richards of Loganville and Brittnay McDaniel of Reidsville who were injured in the wreck remain hospitalized.
After reviewing the DOT report, Cheeley said it’s not surprising such a tragedy occurred.
“It was a matter of if, not when,” he said. Total Transportation CEO John Stomps declined to discuss his company’s safety record.
“We are cooperating with the ongoing investigation,” Stomps said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and the Georgia Southern community.”
Over the last two years, the company, which has 938 drivers for its 740 vehicles, was involved in 85 crashes with 27 injuries, according to the DOT report. Drivers got citations in at least four of the cases involving injuries.
Total Transportation accrued 266 unsafe driving violations over the two-year period, the report states. The violations included 107 for speeding, with 17 violations issued for driving 15 miles per hour or more over the speed limit.
The report also cited 37 improper lane changes and 45 citations for failing to obey a “traffic control device.”
It ranked in the middle regarding maintenance violations, with about 50 percent of the trucking companies inspected in better shape. There were 576 violations found in 1,003 inspections, including 127 out of service violations.
Most common violations: inoperative lamps, bad brakes, worn or bald tires, according to the report.
Cheeley said such violations carry few repercussions, citing deregulation in the trucking industry and a scarcity of inspectors.
The state of Mississippi, he said, would be primarily responsible for administering sanctions to Total Transportation.
Nationwide the number of deadly accidents involving big rigs is on the rise, according to a study released earlier this month by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The study concluded that higher speed limits in many states is a major reason for the increase.
It’s unclear when the state patrol will release its conclusions about Wednesday’s accident. A witness who tried to put out the fire told Channel 2 Action News that the driver involved in the wreck told him, “He wish he died too.”
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