The driver of a big rig in Washington ME who slammed into oncoming traffic last week killing two people, was speeding, drunk and had a revoked commercial driver’s license, according to Maine police.

The truck was going at 73 MPH when the wreck occurred; the speed limit on the road is 55 MPH. The truck driver is being held without bail at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon until he is extradited to Maine.

According to the police, the trucker had a blood alcohol level of 0.09, which is above the legal level of 0.08. The police stated that the trucker also tested positive for hydrocodone after the wreck. A sheriff’s deputy and an emergency worker both could smell alcohol on the man’s breath at the crash scene.

The trucker told police that he had been taking a drug called Lortab, which contains hydrocodone. He said that he was taking it because he did not fell well.

Our Virginia truck crash attorneys send our condolences to the victim’s family. This is yet another example of a preventable truck crash that likely is at least partially due to the trucker being inebriated behind the wheel. Our truck crash injury lawyers have worked on many cases involving drunk truckers or trucker who otherwise were negligent in carrying out their driving duties.

For example, our law firm represented a family where the female passenger was killed by a concrete truck. The trucker was negligent and he was charged with manslaughter. A three day trial by jury resulted in a $10.5 million verdict. At the very least, the grieving husband in this case was able to properly plan for his family’s future with the funds provided from this verdict.