Idaho truck driver declared ‘imminent hazard’, ordered not to operate any commercial motor vehicle
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POCATELLO — The semi-truck driver who allegedly caused a crash on Interstate 15 in Pocatello earlier this month has been declared an “imminent hazard.”
The declaration was made by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). As part of this declaration, Shane Warr, a 57-year-old Blackfoot resident, has been ordered not to operate any commercial motor vehicle. Warr was served the federal order Feb. 8, according to a post on the FMCSA’s website.
Warr was traveling north on I-15 on Feb. 3 just past the South 5th Avenue interchange when he crossed the median, striking two vehicles. One of the vehicles he struck was a Chevrolet Suburban driven by Debbie Akers, 54, of Pocatello. Akers was transported to the hospital by ambulance after being removed from her vehicle by firefighters.
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Warr reportedly told officers on the scene that he had consumed one alcoholic beverage before leaving Malad, according to an Affidavit of Probable Cause. However, officers did find multiple empty beverage containers in the cabin of the semi.
Officers also found him to be in possession of a firearm.
Two breathalyzer tests returned blood-alcohol concentrations of 0.132 and 0.124. Operating a commercial vehicle with a BAC above 0.04 is a violation of federal safety regulations, according to the FMCSA website.
Warr had his license suspended for one year in 2016 after being convicted of driving under the influence.
Warr’s “blatant violations of the (federal safety regulations) and disregard for the safety of the motoring public … substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death to you and motoring public,” the FMCSA’s imminent hazard out-of-service order reads.
Before Warr can once again operate a commercial vehicle, he must first successfully complete a “statutorily required return-to-duty process” which will be monitored by a substance abuse professional.