In this edition we cover…
– Trucker shoots it out with cops
– Bees close down truck stop in Nevada
– Customs broker scam
Hi, I’m David Compton. A trucker dies in a shootout with police, a customs broker’s scam goes up in smoke, and something’s buzzing at a rest stop in Nevada. These are just some of the stories we’re going to cover on this edition of the trucker news channel.
A suspect has been identified as Joshua Blessed, a 58-year-old truck driver from Yurman Express, as he led New York law enforcement officials on a chase that spanned three counties and lasted for more than an hour. The chase ended when Blessed was fatally shot. During the incident, the suspect allegedly rammed police cars in an attempt to also strike oncoming vehicles and repeatedly fired at police officers from his rig. The chase began in Leroy, New York when police officers pulled over the tractor trailer for a speeding violation. The chase ended when the tractor trailer veered off route 20A and onto a field. The suspect was declared dead at the scene. Blessed received multiple gunshot wounds, and the medical examiner’s office is working to determine whether the fatal shot was self-inflicted. Officials say they do not yet have a motive for Blessed actions and allegedly fleeing what could have been a routine traffic stop.
A Texas man’s smuggling plans went up in smoke recently as he tried to smuggle millions of contraband cigarettes into Mexico. The authorities were first tipped off when police stopped the semi truck hauling approximately 17 million cigarettes en route to a location in Mexico. They traced the load back to two warehouses, where they found 422,917,800 contraband cigarettes that were marked for shipment into Mexico. The total value of the seized contraband cigarettes and other equipment is estimated at approximately $88 million. Also, 88 year old Texas resident, Jose Francisco Guerrero, pled guilty to charges related to a cigarette smuggling attempt. Guerrero’s sentencing date has not been set yet. He faces up to 10 years prison and a fine of $250,000.
Something’s buzzing in Nevada. That’s because hundreds of bees were discovered swarming the faucets, the toilets, and other facilities at the Southern Nevada visitor center rest area along US 95, causing the shut down of the facility until further notice. The rest area is located about 17 miles south of Searchlight, Nevada in Clark County, and maintenance crews discovered the infestation while performing a fog seal pavement upgrade to the rest area’s north and south parking lots. The rest area will remain closed until it can be safely reopened again. For a complete list of Nevada state maintained rest areas, you can go to the link below.
Commercial:
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David Compton:
Have you ever left home with something, only to get where you’re going and not be able to find what you swear you brought along with you? Well, this trucker is going to have that same experience when he arrives at his destination. Facebooker Corey Daggert posted this video where it quickly went viral. Take a look.
Garmin is now offering its diesel over the road navigators with seven inch, eight inch, and ten inch screen options, allowing drivers to easily access vital information. The oversized navigators are loaded with core trucking features necessary for the over the road truck driver. Drivers can input the size and weight of their truck onto the diesel navigator to receive custom truck routing and take advantage of road warnings to see the alerts for upcoming bridge heights, weight limits, and sharp curves, steep upgrades and more. The preloaded directory of truck driver and trailer services also helps drivers find preferred truck stops by brand or amenities. Truck friendly parking information and timely break planning notifications help truckers make the most of each stop.
When the new trio of diesel navigators are paired with the Garmin drive mobile app, drivers can access live fuel prices, traffic, and weather. For more info on the new larger navigators, you can go to garmin.com.
Well, that’s it for this edition. If you’re watching us on YouTube, make sure to click that little red subscribe button below. You can also go to thetrucker.com to read the latest breaking news stories. That’s it. So on behalf of myself and everybody else here at the trucker news channel, thank you for watching.
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.