Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/550385
40 | Overdrive | August 2015 'HE WAS WAITING FOR THE SEMIS' needed. But haunted by the lack of con- trol he had over the accident, he was not certain he could return to the road. "I thought that if I made sure I did everything by the book – perfect pretrip inspection, never use my phone, always alert and proactively aware – I could prevent something like this," Lowry says. "As it turned out, I learned that my best is not enough to ward off random acts such as what happened to me. Now I have a more realistic view of the dangers and an acceptance that some things we can't control. "My confidence in my driving was not shaken. Most truckers will go their whole career and never be tested to such a se- vere level. I now know that if I can pass that test, I should not doubt myself." He doesn't blame the anonymous man for what he did, even though Lowry was angry at first. He was able to forgive with the help of his church and family, but the trauma to him and his family lasted for months. He couldn't even drive his own car and was treated for PTSD. Gradually, he grew stronger and eventually began driving profes- sionally again. "Even though it was not my fault and there were plenty of eyewitnesses, my log books and equipment were gone over with a fine-tooth comb. My phone was examined, and I was drug-tested. There are plenty of reasons to run safely and follow all the rules, but this is an area that you can control. Always start every trip as if anything can happen." John Jaikes: 'You grip the steering wheel and maintain your lane.' John Jaikes of Nanticoke, Pa., an own- er-operator with 26 years of driving under his belt, had been through hard times that included bouts of cancer. Yet nothing prepared him for what happened July 21, 2013, at 1:10 p.m. He was unloaded and driving on a two-lane road when he saw an oncom- ing pickup truck moving erratically. He remembers wishing the pickup would stay in its lane. Then the pickup's driver turned his truck straight toward Jaikes' Kenworth. "You do what you are trained to do if something is coming into your lane," he says. "You grip the steering wheel and maintain your lane." The pickup slammed into him, jackknifing Jaikes' truck. The driver survived serious injuries. The police and witnesses believed it was a suicide attempt, though the driver claimed he fell asleep. Jaikes had some injuries, but his truck was destroyed, and insurance barely covered the loss. Jaikes' log books, phone records and equipment were scrutinized. Even his neighbors were interviewed about his character and driving habits. The police and the tow-truck driver reassured him there was nothing he could have done differently. "I forgave him but still don't under- stand why someone would want to use an innocent trucker to cause their own death," he says. He dealt with the emo- tional issues, but he's still petrified when he sees a vehicle veer out of its lane. Though Jaikes was cleared of all wrongdoing, his insurance rates went up. "I was his victim," he says. He says he may consider using a dashcam for the evidence it could provide in such instances. Jack Rivera: 'It's shock- ing to see something so deliberate.' Jack Rivera, a New York owner-opera- tor leased to Celadon, remains disturbed by the three-vehicle crash he witnessed and caught on video. (See "Dashcams' shocking evidence," page 35.) On April 1, 2015, he was driving along I-35E in Waxahachie, Texas, when he saw an SUV parked at the base of an exit ramp, pointed toward traffic. As the trac- tor-trailer ahead of Rivera's approached, the SUV driver drove head-on into it. According to police, the 49-year-old driver, Laura Michelle Mayeaux, was intoxicated and was trying to commit sui- cide. She later was charged with DUI and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The impact caused the trucker to hit another car, overturn and spill his cargo. The trucker and the driver of the car he hit had minor injuries. Mayeaux was seriously injured. Rivera stopped and offered assistance. "It's shocking to see something so deliberate," he says. "I've seen all kinds of bad wrecks in my 10-year career, but this kind of thing stays with you." He gave the video footage to the police and then later uploaded it to YouTube to warn other truckers. "I want my fellow truckers out there to really think about the possibility that anything can happen," he says. "Even things you have not even thought about before." IF YOU NEED HELP in locating counseling services in your home area, call the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration help line: 877-726-4727. Another resource is the National Sui- cide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255. Jaikes' insurance rates rose, even though he was cleared of wrongdoing in the accident.