WASHINGTON — An Ohio-licensed commercial driver who caused a fatal head-on collision while traveling the wrong way on a Virginia highway has been declared an imminent hazard to public safety by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and has been ordered not to operate any commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce.
On Feb. 24, 2021, Travis Lee Tolliver, a commercial driver’s license (CDL) holder, was operating a tractor-trailer in Wise County, Virginia, when he traveled in the wrong direction along Route 23 for approximately 2 miles before crashing head-on into another vehicle. The passenger in the vehicle was killed, and the driver was seriously injured. Tolliver was also taken to a hospital where he refused to provide blood for drug testing.
Tolliver was charged by the Commonwealth of Virginia with manslaughter under aggravated circumstances; driving while intoxicated; driving while under the influence of alcohol or a narcotic drug; and unlawfully, after having been arrested, unreasonably refusing to have a sample of blood taken for chemical tests to determine alcohol or drug content.
An investigation by FMCSA found that on the day of the crash, Tolliver had failed to maintain records-of-duty-status. Investigators further found that, on multiple occasions in the days leading up to the crash, Tolliver had exceeded the allowable on-duty driving hours and failed to maintain records-of-duty-status as required by federal regulations.
FMCSA’s imminent hazard out-of-service order states that Tolliver’s “blatant and egregious violations of the (federal safety regulations) and disregard for the safety of the motoring public … substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death to you and/or to the motoring public.”
Failing to comply with the provisions of the federal imminent hazard order may result in civil penalties of up to $1,895 for each violation; knowing and/or willful violations could result in criminal penalties.
Tolliver, who was served the federal order March 5, may not operate a commercial motor vehicle until such time he successfully completes the statutorily required return-to-duty process overseen by a substance abuse professional.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
