The driver of a truck which caused the death of five in an October, 2010 crash in Henderson County, North Carolina has now reportedly plead guilty to multiple counts of involuntary manslaughter.  The crash occurred when the driver’s rig slammed into the rear of a string of cars which was stopped due to an earlier accident.  Investigations reportedly revealed that the truck’s speedometer revealed the truck was traveling at 70 mph.  Driver fatigue reportedly contributed to the deadly accident.  The driver reportedly faces a five year prison term.

The case serves as yet another example of the hazards created when truck drivers push beyond the hours of service limits, or otherwise continue to drive when they are overtired.  We can only hope the prison sentence will serve as a reminder to truckers of the considerable risks they take when they push these limits, and that this lesson will serve to curb future regulatory abuses within the trucking industry.