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.