highwaysafety

Driving alongside a tractor-trailer on the highway can make motorists nervous. Most people believe that in a crash, the truck is going to win. Imagine what it does to the odds if the truck also has serious mechanical problems and does not receive annual inspections.

Under federal law, tractor-trailers do not have to be inspected by an independent third party. The motor carriers are supposed to do their own inspections.

Some people who monitor the trucking industry say the system is not working, and that there may be millions of 80,000-pound death traps rolling down our highways.

On July 20, 1998, 30-year-old Kristi Bishop was killed when her car collided with a tractor-trailer on U.S. 1 in Lee County.

"Kristi's death was not an accident," says Maggie Rosage, Kristi's mother.

The pain only got worse when the Rosages learned more about the poor condition of the tractor-trailer. The air brake system between the tractor and the trailer was disconnected. Eight out of 18 tires were bald, and the trailer's suspension was misaligned. The highway patrol called it "unroadworthy" in its accident report.

After the crash, Kristi's husband, Chris Bishop, filed a lawsuit against the three motor carriers responsible for the trailer.

"If one person had taken on the responsibility to do the right thing, Kristi would still be here today," Bishop says.

RH Motor Lines in Asheboro owned the trailer, but leased it to Southern Straw Incorporated in Aberdeen since 1990. Every year, RH's owner, Robert Calicutt, says his company sent Southern Straw a blank inspection sticker and reminded them to inspect the trailer.

Under federal law, motor carriers can have their own employees inspect their equipment. In this case, investigators say the sticker on the trailer was expired, and there were no records of past inspections.

"Most importantly there were no brakes to the trailer," says Steve Coggins, Bishop's attorney. He believes this case represents systemic problems in the trucking industry.

"The nature of the industry is that fraud can be rampant," Coggins says. "Failure to comply with these inspection and maintenance regulations can be rampant. The truth is we have no idea the extent of it."

Coggins adds that part of the problem is that the equipment changes hands so often, no one is sure who is in charge of maintaining it.

"It's a huge liability to have equipment out on the road," says Ronnie Horn, owner of Family Home and Garden in Raleigh. He says since Kristi Bishop's death, his company has gone overboard with truck safety. Horn's company was named in Chris Bishop's lawsuit because the trailer had been parked on his lot prior to the crash.

"We had nothing to do with it whatsoever," Horn says. "We didn't pull it, we had nothing to do with this trailer. We should not have been pulled into this at all."

The big question then becomes who is responsible for crashes involving trucks? North Carolina ranks eighth in the country in the number of fatal crashes involving tractor-trailers.

Charlie Diehl is the president of the North Carolina Trucking Association. While critics of the self-policing industry say a third party inspection system is the answer, Diehl's group disagrees.

"It would be very expensive," Diehl says, "which would put North Carolina trucking companies at a competitive disadvantage with trucking companies based in other states."

The Division of Motor Vehicles is responsible for enforcing truck safety.

Since 1998, DMV has tripled the number of roadside inspections it carries out, but that is still just 68,000 trucks a year, a fraction of the millions which roll through our state annually.

"We feel like we can maybe reach one of those trucks that could be unsafe, and if we can get one that's unsafe off the road, prevent it from having a crash, that's a good day's work for our men," says Lt. Mark Nichols of the DMV

According to the federal government, the number of trucks going down the road is expected to increase by 20 percent in the next decade. Kristi's family hopes that by going public with their story, they will encourage motor carriers to make safety a priority. For now, their priority is learning how to move on with their lives.

"You laugh, you do find joy in the rest of your family, you are blessed and you enjoy your blessings, but behind all of that, there's still, we call it silent tears," Rosage says. "There's just always a part of you that's not there."

In January, a Lee County jury found that Southern Straw contributed to her death. The owner of that company, Robert Sutphen, has been indicted for involuntary manslaughter.

Sutphen tells WRAL that he is sorry about the crash and wishes he could turn back the hands of time. He says he did not know about the poor condition of the trailer.

RH Motor Lines and Family Home and Garden settled out of court with Chris Bishop. The owner of RH Motor Lines, Robert Calicutt, tells WRAL his company is no longer sending out blank inspection stickers to companies which lease his equipment.

The truck driver, Fred McAllister, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor death by vehicle. WRAL could not locate him.



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	Trucking Industry Faces Questions About Inspection System RALEIGH (WRAL) - April 12, 2001 Driving alongside a tractor-trailer on the highway can make motorists nervous. Most people believe that in a crash, the truck is going to win. Imagine what it does to the odds if the truck also has serious mechanical problems and does not receive annual inspections. Under federal law, tractor-trailers do not have to be inspected by an independent third party. The motor carriers are supposed to do their own inspections. Some people who monitor the trucking industry say the system is not working, and that there may be millions of 80,000-pound death traps rolling down our highways. On July 20, 1998, 30-year-old Kristi Bishop was killed when her car collided with a tractor-trailer on U.S. 1 in Lee County. "Kristi's death was not an accident," says Maggie Rosage, Kristi's mother. The pain only got worse when the Rosages learned more about the poor condition of the tractor-trailer. The air brake system between the tractor and the trailer was disconnected. Eight out of 18 tires were bald, and the trailer's suspension was misaligned. The highway patrol called it "unroadworthy" in its accident report. After the crash, Kristi's husband, Chris Bishop, filed a lawsuit against the three motor carriers responsible for the trailer. "If one person had taken on the responsibility to do the right thing, Kristi would still be here today," Bishop says. RH Motor Lines in Asheboro owned the trailer, but leased it to Southern Straw Incorporated in Aberdeen since 1990. Every year, RH's owner, Robert Calicutt, says his company sent Southern Straw a blank inspection sticker and reminded them to inspect the trailer. Under federal law, motor carriers can have their own employees inspect their equipment. In this case, investigators say the sticker on the trailer was expired, and there were no records of past inspections. "Most importantly there were no brakes to the trailer," says Steve Coggins, Bishop's attorney. He believes this case represents systemic problems in the trucking industry. "The nature of the industry is that fraud can be rampant," Coggins says. "Failure to comply with these inspection and maintenance regulations can be rampant. The truth is we have no idea the extent of it." Coggins adds that part of the problem is that the equipment changes hands so often, no one is sure who is in charge of maintaining it. "It's a huge liability to have equipment out on the road," says Ronnie Horn, owner of Family Home and Garden in Raleigh. He says since Kristi Bishop's death, his company has gone overboard with truck safety. Horn's company was named in Chris Bishop's lawsuit because the trailer had been parked on his lot prior to the crash. "We had nothing to do with it whatsoever," Horn says. "We didn't pull it, we had nothing to do with this trailer. We should not have been pulled into this at all." The big question then becomes who is responsible for crashes involving trucks? North Carolina ranks eighth in the country in the number of fatal crashes involving tractor-trailers. Charlie Diehl is the president of the North Carolina Trucking Association. While critics of the self-policing industry say a third party inspection system is the answer, Diehl's group disagrees. "It would be very expensive," Diehl says, "which would put North Carolina trucking companies at a competitive disadvantage with trucking companies based in other states." The Division of Motor Vehicles is responsible for enforcing truck safety. Since 1998, DMV has tripled the number of roadside inspections it carries out, but that is still just 68,000 trucks a year, a fraction of the millions which roll through our state annually. "We feel like we can maybe reach one of those trucks that could be unsafe, and if we can get one that's unsafe off the road, prevent it from having a crash, that's a good day's work for our men," says Lt. Mark Nichols of the DMV According to the federal government, the number of trucks going down the road is expected to increase by 20 percent in the next decade. Kristi's family hopes that by going public with their story, they will encourage motor carriers to make safety a priority. For now, their priority is learning how to move on with their lives. "You laugh, you do find joy in the rest of your family, you are blessed and you enjoy your blessings, but behind all of that, there's still, we call it silent tears," Rosage says. "There's just always a part of you that's not there." In January, a Lee County jury found that Southern Straw contributed to her death. The owner of that company, Robert Sutphen, has been indicted for involuntary manslaughter. Sutphen tells WRAL that he is sorry about the crash and wishes he could turn back the hands of time. He says he did not know about the poor condition of the trailer. RH Motor Lines and Family Home and Garden settled out of court with Chris Bishop. The owner of RH Motor Lines, Robert Calicutt, tells WRAL his company is no longer sending out blank inspection stickers to companies which lease his equipment. The truck driver, Fred McAllister, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor death by vehicle. WRAL could not locate him. Reporter: Amanda Lamb Photographer: Greg Clark OnLine Producer: Julie Moos