FMCSA Takes Three Drivers Off the Road

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has ordered three truck drivers off the road, declaring each an “imminent hazard to public safety,” the agency reported.

The orders were issued against Stewart Snedeker, 59, licensed in Illinois; Scotty Arnst, licensed in Texas; and Tracy Ferrell, 41, licensed in Michigan, FMCSA said in Oct. 25 statements.

All three were licensed commercial drivers and violated federal safety regulations before collisions in which people were killed or injured, FMCSA reported.

On June 23, Snedeker injured a state trooper when he struck a Tennessee Highway Patrol cruiser and tow truck on Interstate 75 in Campbell County, Tenn. Snedeker allegedly drove away from the crash site and was arrested 10 miles away. FMCSA said its investigation revealed that Snedeker falsified his medical history to obtain a medical examiner certificate required to operate commercial motor vehicles. Snedeker drove for Paris Transportation, Inc., at the time of the crash.

Arnst was driving a tractor-trailer near Harrison, Ark., on Sept. 22 when he struck and killed two people changing a tire in the road shoulder. FMCSA investigators determined Arnst had failed to disclose five previous crashes and prior terminations for “high-risk driving” to three employers during a nine-month period and violated medical qualification rules, FMCSA said in a statement. Arnst drove for Dollar Trucking Inc., of Brinkley, Ark., when the collision happened.

On Sept. 11, Ferrell was behind the wheel of a truck in Pickaway County, Ohio, when he slammed into the rear of another vehicle stopped for traffic, killing the driver, FMCSA said. Michigan and FMCSA determined that Ferrell had “repeatedly and excessively” falsified his on-duty records before the crash and exceeded federal limits on operator hours, FMCSA said in a statement. Ferrell drove for Fleet Quest Inc., which is based in Grand Rapids, Mich.

“It is unacceptable for a truck or bus company, or any of its drivers, to disregard the law and put travelers at risk,” FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro said in the statements.