Drowsy, Unsafe Drivers Targeted

Dumfries, Va. –– Virginia State Police over the next 72 hours are getting tough on commercial vehicle safety.

The increased enforcement is part of Road Check 2011, an annual, national effort to draw attention to safety issues on trucks and passenger buses.

“It couldn’t happen during a more appropriate time. One week ago today, families up and down the east coast were wondering what happened to their family members when a passenger bus crashed on Interstate 95 in Caroline County,” said Virginia State Police Col. W. Stephen Flaherty. “It was the worst kinds of crash, in terms of tragedy, the worst kind because it was preventable.”

Four females were killed when that bus carrying 58 passengers from North Carolina to New York City overturned.

The driver, 37-year-old Kin Yiu Cheung, is charged with involuntary manslaughter. Police say driver fatigue led to the crash, and at least one person onboard the bus told a Washington TV station she saw him drinking several energy drinks while stopped at a gas station prior to the crash.

Officials during Safety Check 2011 will turn their attention to defective equipment, proper vehicle registrations, and will examine driver logs to make sure those behind the wheel are not exceeding federal limits on how long they can drive without stopping for rest.

“In 2010 there were 4,646 commercial motor vehicle-related crashes in Virginia. These crashes resulted in 86 deaths and other 3,184 being injured on Virginia’s roadways,” said Virginia Highway Safety Services Director John Saunders. “These are not just numbers; they are moms, dads, brothers and sisters, children, grandchildren, friends and neighbors who were needlessly killed.”

Following the announcement about the increased enforcement, police held a public inspection of a passenger bus similar to the one which crashed last week.