U.S. Department of Transportation News

California Trucking Firm Owner Sentenced in Deadly Blast

A Southern California trucking company owner who ordered the illegal repair of a tanker that led to a deadly explosion was sentenced last week to 10 years in federal prison. Carl Bradley Johansson, 64, of Newport Beach also was sentenced …

Roadkill Report Names California’s Deadliest Highways, Costs

Tens of thousands of mountain lions, bears, bighorn sheep, squirrels, birds and lizards have met their fate in collisions with vehicles across California, according to a “roadkill” report that names a San Francisco Bay Area highway as the state’s deadliest …

Mississippi Receives $23M in Federal Funds for Flood Relief

Mississippi has received nearly $23 million in emergency relief funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation to repair federal roadways that were damaged by severe flooding. U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith announced the five Federal Highway Administration awards on Thursday, according …

Three People Killed in Train-Vehicle Collision on Long Island

Two commuter trains traveling in opposite directions collided with a vehicle on the tracks in Westbury in Long Island, N.Y., killing all three occupants in the vehicle before one of the trains derailed and tore into a concrete platform Tuesday …

Alabama Chiropractor Gets 3 Years in Trucker Health Exam Fraud Case

An Alabama-based chiropractor, who was accused in a scheme to conduct fraudulent physical examinations on prospective long-haul truckers and submit false documents to federal transportation regulators, has been sentenced to more than three years in prison. Chief U.S. District Judge …

Georgia Doctor Pleads Guilty to Falsifying Trucker Safety Exams

An Atlanta doctor has pleaded guilty to falsifying medical examination records for commercial truck drivers. Court records show 72-year-old Dr. Anthony Lefteris pleaded guilty last week to counts of falsifying documents and entering false information into U.S. Department of Transportation …

California Tour Bus Crash Leaves 1 Killed, 26 Injured

A tour bus crossed into oncoming traffic and hit two cars head-on, killing one woman and injuring 26 others in the Southern California high desert, according to the California Highway Patrol. It’s unclear why the tour bus crossed into the …

U.S. Picks North Carolina Turnpike Authority to Assist With Testing Driverless Cars

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently designated the North Carolina Turnpike Authority to help with testing driverless cars. A statement from the N.C. Department of Transportation on Friday said the authority was selected from a competitive group of more than …

State Agency Advocates for Self-Driving Car Legislation in Maryland

Maryland state’s Motor Vehicle Administration is advocating legislation that would transfer regulatory power of self-driving cars to the agency and the state police, saying the change may improve safety on Maryland roads and reduce human error. Motor Vehicle Administration representative …

Deadly Oklahoma Rail Crossing Flagged for Improvements in 2011

Records indicate that the railroad crossing where a woman and her three sons died Sunday in eastern Oklahoma had been flagged for safety improvements since at least 2011. Thirty-seven-year-old April Goines and her sons were killed when the car they …