EL PASO, Texas — Semi-trucks rolling toward Transmountain Road in El Paso now face random safety inspections, as the El Paso Police Department responds to a deadly crash at the foot of the mountain grade earlier this week.
The checks started Tuesday under a department push called Enough Is Enough. A unit of six state-certified inspectors is pulling over commercial vehicles at random rather than running fixed checkpoints. Along with brakes and other equipment, inspectors are reviewing drivers’ logs to catch anyone driving more hours than federal rules allow.
The crackdown follows Monday’s wreck on Northwest El Paso’s Loop 375. Investigators said the southbound tractor-trailer was nearing North Desert when its driver reported that the brakes had failed. The rig went through the intersection, sideswiped a Toyota RAV4 and pushed it into a Ford F-150, then struck a Chevrolet Colorado, killing its driver, a 42-year-old West El Paso man. Nine other people were hurt.
Mayor Renard Johnson and Police Chief Peter Pacillas addressed the corridor’s safety record at a Tuesday news conference. Johnson said he would work with the chief, the City Council, the city manager, the city attorney and TxDOT to look for legal ways to limit heavy trucks on Transmountain, including safer routes.
The head of Mesilla Valley Transportation, a local trucking company, backed the inspections but said steeper fixes are needed, suggesting trucks keep to 35 mph or less on the downhill and warning that heat can wear on brakes during long descents. Police plan to keep the checks going until the city settles on a lasting fix.
Section: More El Paso TX crime news
Filed under: El Paso TX Traffic News
