Truck towing overloaded kills, driver gets felony charges.

[Cub 7275]

As per CDL life: Pickup driver's 'overweight' load and brake failure believed to have caused double fatality crash in Carson City

quote:
Gonzalez-Otazo was arrested and faces a long list of charges, including:

• Felony reckless driving
• No valid driver’s license
• Unsafe vehicle
• Obstruction of justice
• Failure to obey traffic light
• Fail to obey traffic device
• No record of duty status
• Motor carrier permit required
• No medical certificate
• Operating a CMV without a CDL
• Driver must be able to understand traffic signals
• No fuel tax permit
• IRO apportioned tag/reg violation
• No USDOT/carrier name displayed
• Inoperative/defective Brakes
• Inspection repair and maintenance (2 counts)
• Wheel fasteners loose and missing (2 counts)
• Required brakes missing on trailer
• Loose or unfastened tiedown
• Damaged vehicle structures and pressure points

The crash remains under investigation. /quote

 

[Username Taken]

That boat looks smaller than the one in the accident.

From the article:
"According to the Nevada Highway Patrol’s preliminary investigation, the pickup was overloaded by eight tons.

The Ford is rated at a maximum towing weight of 21,000, well below the weight of the yacht, which weighed in at 37,000 pounds."

That's from the highway patrol, not the reporter.

https://www.marlinmag.com/new-sport-fishing-boats-2018/

LOA: 43′ | Beam: 14’8″ | Draft: 3’8″ | Displacement: 35,000 lb. | Fuel: 600 gal.
Water: 100 gal. | Power: Twin Cummins 600 hp QSC 8.3 Courtesy Maverick Yachts

 

[Username Taken]

Buddy of mine bought a 42' Scarab years ago. Got a deal on it. It was made for Miami Vice but never used. The production company kept several of them in reserve in case they crahse one on TV. Which they did..... Often.

It weighed 12,000lbs soaking wet. Fully loaded with fuel, ice, beer, me, him and his wife (do not like that woman) it never topped 14k.

He towed it on a 3 axle trailer that sort of had brakes. They were the surge style brakes because electric brakes would self-destruct quickly in Salt Water. I live about 5 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. He lives about a mile from The Caloosahatchee

He had a 2500 suburban with a 454 (most overrated truck engine in galactic history) and I told him it wouldn't pull it. Then he started talking about the superiority of everything cheby.

Well, it would pull it.... Barely. But it wouldn't stop it. I had a F-250 with a fuel injected 460 in it. Not only would it pull its face off, it would stop it. A big plus. He begged it off of me so I sold it to him. Loved that truck. Got 10 MPG whether it was pulling or not. Even pulled that boat from here to Apollo Beach (just south of Tampa, maybe 100 miles) several times

So I know a little bit about boats and I'm telling you...... I just don't believe that boat in the accident weighed what that Trooper said it weighed. I know what a 37,000 lb boat looks like and -- That ain't one of them

 

[stingray1]

I agree with zzvyb6,I’m betting this guy is an illegal alien.

 

[KennyG]

I agree with zzvyb6,I’m betting this guy is an illegal alien.

All indications point in that direction. After all, if he didn't bother with a drivers license, why would he bother with legal immigration papers? What I can't figure out is how a boat that expensive ended up in such a shoddy situation. A decent trailer and towing contractor would be peanuts compared to the boat cost.

 

[RoyJackson]

Lots of US citizens aren’t model citizens. Guy sounds like a loser, but that doesn’t make him a non-citizen.

No...but right now, it makes him a criminal

 

[RoyJackson]

Any indication he was speeding?

 

[bcp]

Any indication he was speeding?

Red light = speed limit of zero.

Bruce

 

[RoyJackson]

Any indication he was speeding?

Red light = speed limit of zero.

Bruce

Not what I meant...speeding, oversized load...just more difficult to stop for a red light

 

[MossRoad]

Buddy of mine bought a 42' Scarab years ago. Got a deal on it. It was made for Miami Vice but never used. The production company kept several of them in reserve in case they crahse one on TV. Which they did..... Often.

It weighed 12,000lbs soaking wet. Fully loaded with fuel, ice, beer, me, him and his wife (do not like that woman) it never topped 14k.

He towed it on a 3 axle trailer that sort of had brakes. They were the surge style brakes because electric brakes would self-destruct quickly in Salt Water. I live about 5 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. He lives about a mile from The Caloosahatchee

He had a 2500 suburban with a 454 (most overrated truck engine in galactic history) and I told him it wouldn't pull it. Then he started talking about the superiority of everything cheby.

Well, it would pull it.... Barely. But it wouldn't stop it. I had a F-250 with a fuel injected 460 in it. Not only would it pull its face off, it would stop it. A big plus. He begged it off of me so I sold it to him. Loved that truck. Got 10 MPG whether it was pulling or not. Even pulled that boat from here to Apollo Beach (just south of Tampa, maybe 100 miles) several times

So I know a little bit about boats and I'm telling you...... I just don't believe that boat in the accident weighed what that Trooper said it weighed. I know what a 37,000 lb boat looks like and -- That ain't one of them

And that makes it bad reporting? It makes it inaccurate statement from the police (maybe) at best, but has nothing to do with the reporting.

When you write a news story, you report what the authorities tell you as fact as they know it at the time. And you quote sources. "The source said it weighed 37K" I the reporter didn't say that. The source said that. If things don't add up amongst multiple sources, then you dig deeper if your editor tells you to.

I worked at a newspaper for 30 years, so I know a little bit about writing news stories. There was no bad reporting in that story.