Dozens of Commercial Vehicles, Drivers Shut Down Overnight

Last night members of the Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division conducted an intense enforcement initiative in Prince George's County.

Operation Tailgate targeted unsafe and overweight commercial vehicles traveling Interstate 495 in the county, which has been identified as one of Maryland’s high crash corridors.

Throughout the night, state troopers; State Police K-9 units; truck inspectors; and inspectors from the Maryland Department of Environment, the Montgomery County Police Department and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office directed commercial trucks and buses off the Beltway at Arena Drive to a temporary inspection and weigh facility at FedEx Field.

State Police also patrolled I-495 looking for truck drivers who failed to exit onto Arena Drive.

Of a total of 351 commercial vehicles inspected, 35 were placed out-of-service due to serious equipment violations. Another 20 drivers were shut down because they either had false logbooks or were driving beyond the hours permitted by federal regulations. Four drivers did not have the proper commercial driver’s license. One bus driver was placed out-of-service for being medically unqualified to operate a commercial vehicle.

Troopers also wrote 108 traffic citations and 128 warnings. Two drivers were arrested on outstanding warrants, and a passenger on a commercial truck was arrested for possession of marijuana.

The purpose of such ongoing efforts is to ensure commercial vehicles and their operators meet state and federal laws to promote safety on Maryland roads, police said.

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