Tuesday, May 26, 2015

NOUR LIGHT PETROLEUM TRANSPORT OF DEARBORN, MICH., THE COMPANY WHOSE GASOLINE TANKER WAS INVOLVED IN A FIERY CRASH ON I-75 IN DETROIT, WAS CITED 11 TIMES WITHIN THE PAST TWO YEARS FOR EQUIPMENT AND OTHER VIOLATIONS. TANKER DRIVER WAS ISSUED A TICKET FOR CARELESS DRIVING








MAY 26, 2015

DETROIT, MICHIGAN

A company whose gasoline tanker was involved in a fiery crash on I-75 here was cited 11 times within the past two years for equipment and other violations — including having faulty brakes on vehicles — according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Driver Kai Moore, 36, of Detroit told Michigan State Police investigators the brakes on his back tires locked up Sunday as he went into a curve on a ramp at the Interstate-75 and I-375 interchange in downtown Detroit, causing the tanker and cab to overturn and catch fire. No one was injured.

A fireball from the truck, carrying about 9,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline, damaged about 300 feet of concrete and a barrier wall, and the ramp is expected to be closed until Friday while repairs are made, snarling traffic downtown. Cost of the damage to the roadway was unclear Tuesday; Moore was issued a ticket for careless driving.

"It was a very traumatic experience," Moore said. "I pulled out my cellphone and tried to get the first responders to the scene. I tried to turn around and make sure no one was involved. It only took a few seconds for the flame to ignite. When your life flashes before your eyes, you never know if you're going to come out alive."

Nour Light Petroleum Transport of Dearborn, Mich., received multiple citations in August 2013 related to brake issues, according to federal inspection records. Brakes on its trucks were out of adjustment, automatic air-brake adjustment systems failed to compensate for wear and some brakes were out of service.

The violations ranked in severity from 1 to 7, but none was considered a serious violation by the U.S. Department of Transportation agency oversees commercial trucking highway safety.

The company could not be immediately reached Tuesday for comment.
Nour has five hazmat cargo tank trailers and 10 drivers, the agency said. The company has been inspected nine times within the past two years and is authorized to carry hazardous materials, liquids and gasoline.

Troopers have completed their investigation into the crash, leading to Moore being cited for careless driving, said 1st Lt. Michael Shaw of Michigan State Police. The state police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division also will look into whether the company "is doing everything they're supposed to."
Before Sunday's crash, the company had been in four accidents, according to federal records. The records do not indicate whether the drivers were at fault in any of the accidents.
In a crash that occurred in February 2014 on I-75 in Detroit, a Nour driver did not have a valid license, the records show, but it's unclear whether Michigan State Police issued a citation. Records also don't indicate the severity of the crash.