a day ago
Federal investigators eye driver fatigue in deadly 18 wheeler crash on I-20 tied to Florida-based carrier
Federal investigators are examining the role driver fatigue may have played in a deadly I-20 crash near Terrell over the weekend involving a Florida-based truck driver and his employer, Hope Trans LLC.
The National Transportation Safety Board, in coordination with the Texas Department of Public Safety, has opened a safety investigation into the crash that killed five people on Interstate 20 in Terrell, Texas.
The driver, identified as Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, 27, is from Florida and works for Hope Trans LLC, a trucking company with a listed address in the Orlando area, according to USDOT records. Records show the company had a previously listed address of Tacoma, Washington.
Federal transportation records show Hope Trans LLC has been in operation since 2021. The company currently operates 65 trucks and employs 80 drivers. It is listed as being in compliance with federal safety regulations.
In the past 24 months, Hope Trans LLC has been involved in three crashes resulting in injuries, though none were fatal until this weekend's incident.
In terms of driver compliance, based on federal inspection in the past 24 months, the company's record is slightly better than the national average. Five percent of Hope Trans LLC drivers were found "out of service" during a federal inspection, compared to the national average of 6.7%.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website shows no "acute/critical" violations for hours-of-service compliance or driver fitness. Federal rules limit commercial truck drivers to a 12-hour driving limit after 8 consecutive hours off-duty, as well as a 70-hour weekly limit over 7 consecutive days.
As the NTSB continues its investigation, questions remain about what could have been done to prevent the crash—and whether warning signs were missed.
