WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has declared Arizona-licensed commercial driver Jordan Alexander Barson to be an imminent hazard to public safety and has ordered him not to operate any commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce. Barson was served the federal order Dec. 23, 2020.
On Dec. 10, 2020, Barson, a commercial driver’s license (CDL) holder employed by RoadRunner Transport AZ Inc., USDOT No. 3451500, of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, was operating a commercial truck on U.S. 95 in Clark County, Nevada, when he struck seven bicyclists and the riders’ escort vehicle from the rear; five bicyclists were pronounced dead at scene. Another bicyclist and the driver of the escort vehicle received incapacitating injuries and were transported to the hospital.
Barson was subsequently tested by Nevada Highway Patrol officers for controlled substances and was found positive for both amphetamine and methamphetamine; his methamphetamine level was almost 10 times the legal amount permitted by Nevada state law.
Barson was charged by the State of Nevada with five counts of Driving Under the Influence Resulting in Death, one count of Driving Under the Influence Resulting in Substantial Bodily Harm, five counts of Reckless Driving Resulting in Death, and one count of Reckless Driving Resulting in Substantial Bodily Harm.
A subsequent investigation of RoadRunner Transport AZ Inc. found that neither the carrier nor Barson maintained drivers’ records-of-duty status as required by federal regulations.
FMCSA’s imminent hazard out-of-service order states that Barson’s “blatant violations of the [federal safety regulations] and ongoing and repeated disregard for the safety of the motoring public … substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death to you and motoring public.”
Barson and RoadRunner Transport AZ Inc. also may be subject to civil penalty enforcement proceedings brought by FMCSA for violations of the agency’s safety regulations.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Put him away in prison for 20 plus years for each death and injury. He gives the trucking industry a bad name. Also fine road runner a few million dollars because they had to know what was going on.
“his methamphetamine level was almost 10 times the legal amount permitted by Nevada state law.”
Leave it to Nevada to have a legal amount of meth you can be driving on.