Intoxicated Semi-Truck Driving Wrong Direction on Highway 41, Tragedy Avoided
On Thursday morning the quick actions of a Wisconsin State Patrolman may have saved lives. At approximately 7:45 a.m., on December 18, 2008, Wisconsin State Trooper AJ Llanas was on patrol traveling north on Highway 41 in Dodge County, near the Highway 67 exit, when he witnessed a semi-truck traveling north in the southbound lanes of travel. Trooper Llanas quickly turned on his emergency lights and made his way to the next break in the median in order to warn southbound traffic.
It appears that Trooper Llanas’ immediate action avoided any tragedy. The semi-truck driver apparently saw Trooper Llanas’ emergency lights and unsuccessfully attempted to make a U-turn at the exit ramp near Highway 67. The semi-truck driver slid into the ditch, closing southbound lanes on Highway 41 for over an hour and a half.
The semi-truck driver, a North Carolina man, was on a route from Chicago to Neenah. He was arrested at the scene for Operating While Intoxicated and taken to Hartford Hospital for a blood test. The officers on scene anticipated his blood alcohol level to be twice the legal limit. The semi-truck driver is being held in Dodge County jail.
“You must maintain absolute sobriety when you’re operating that vehicle,” Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls said. “Thank goodness Trooper Llanas was where he was as this could have been catastrophic.”
The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Regulations prohibit semi-truck drivers from operating their tractor-trailer with any alcohol in their system. Section 49 CFR §392.5 prohibits any use of alcohol by a driver within the four hours before going on duty. Alcohol use is described as “the consumption of any beverage, mixture, or preparation, including any medication, containing alcohol,” pursuant to Section 49 CFR §382.107.
