A minimum of 89 folks died in 373 crashes over 4 years, together with 5 folks killed in a crash in Weld County.
WELD COUNTY, Colo. — Vans contracted by the US Postal Service (USPS) have been concerned in a whole lot of crashes which have killed dozens of individuals.
It wasn’t till 5 folks died in a crash in Weld County and 9NEWS started asking questions that modifications started to occur. Now, the Postal Service is cancelling its contracts with vehicles that specialists say ought to by no means have been on the highway.
In June of 2022, Abby and Chris Godinez misplaced their mom, father, brother, niece and soon-to-be sister-in-law. The truck that slammed into the household’s automobile at 70 miles per hour was carrying mail, contracted by USPS.
“Offended, upset, confused, misplaced. It’s only a entire lot of emotion,” Chris Godinez stated. “The devastation that these automobiles could cause, there’s a motive why it’s a must to have a Industrial Driver’s License.”
The driving force didn’t have a correct license. The corporate didn’t have insurance coverage. The truck didn’t have working brakes. Consultants say it ought to by no means have been on the highway. But a brand new report commissioned by Congress reveals the crash is yet one more instance of lax oversight by the Postal Service.
The Workplace of Inspector Normal discovered vehicles carrying mail have been concerned in 373 crashes leading to 89 deaths throughout the nation from 2018-2022. Not a single contract with any trucking firm was cancelled by the Postal Service, even in any case these folks died.
“No different household ought to need to undergo this. We should always’ve by no means needed to,” Abby Godinez stated. “This could’ve been prevented. 1,000% our household must be house with us proper now. It shouldn’t be like this. We shouldn’t need to be preventing for our household.”
In March of 2023, after Chris and Abby misplaced their household and 9NEWS began asking questions on why this truck was ever even on the highway, USPS cancelled its contract with the trucking firm concerned within the crash. It was the primary time it had ever completed that.
“It tells you that it takes public stress to get authorities servants on the USPS to present two cents about security,” stated Zach Cahalan with the Truck Security Coalition, a nonprofit advocating for safer roads. “That’s what it tells you.”
The brand new report recommends a protracted record of modifications to the postal service’s trucking insurance policies.
“We advocate administration finalize the strategy for monitoring contractor accident and fatality information and insurance policies; require subcontractor authorization and develop a reporting system; make clear insurance policies to authorize subcontractors; implement a mechanism to trace subcontractors; validate staff drivers and replace insurance policies; outline freight public sale; and replace and implement freight public sale steerage,” the audit concludes.
The driving force of the truck in Weld County, Jesus Puebla, is charged with vehicular murder. The trial up in Greeley is predicted to start out on March 18.
Whereas 373 crashes in 4 years involving vehicles carrying mail might sound like loads, there may really be extra. We don’t know for positive, because the audit additionally discovered the Postal Service doesn’t hold monitor of how many individuals died or have been injured in crashes involving their vehicles.
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