Truck driver charged with DUI in wrongful death accident

A trucking accident in West Virginia that claimed the life of a teenager has resulted in DUI charges against the truck driver involved in the wrongful death accident.

After the death of the teenager, charges against the truck driver were upgraded to include DUI causing death and fleeing the scene of an accident.  Three other passengers in  the teen's vehicle were also injured.

In keeping with the dangers brought on by the great size and power of tractor trailers, federal regulations limit  the amount of alcohol that a driver can have when reporting to duty to .02, which is a quarter of what is allowed in most states for the operation of private motor vehicles.  Once the driver is involved in critical safety functions such as the pre-trip inspection and the actual operation of the vehicle, then he is prohibited from consuming any alcohol at all.

The limits that truck drivers must adhere to are much stricter than those applicable to people driving passenger vehicles, but this is a limitation which makes a great deal of sense given the size and power of tractor trailers and the amount of time that truck drivers spend behind the wheel.