WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The driver charged in connection with last weekend’s deadly crash that killed seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire was driving a truck for Westfield Transport, at the time of the crash.
The 22News I-Team has since learned, this company has been cited for dozens of safety violations over the past year.
According to records from the U.S. Department of Transportation, they’ve had at least 69 violations, between Feburary of 2018 and May of 2019.
The I-Team found two of the company’s drivers were cited for drug or alcohol possession in March of 2018. One of those incidents occurred in Massachusetts, the other in Vermont.
Several of their drivers have also been cited for unsafe driving practices, including speeding, failure to stay in their lane, and having an unauthorized passenger in a commercial vehicle.
Another driver was cited for driving a commercial motor vehicle without the proper driver’s license, and not speaking or reading English well enough, to respond to official inquiries.
Westfield Transport is based in West Springfield, but the only address posted on U.S. DOT for the company is a house on a residential street.
The I-Team went to the house to question the owner on the dozens of safety violations against his company.
A woman in the driveway confirmed that he lives there, but shut the garage door when we asked whether he wanted to comment on the two drivers who were cited for driving with drugs/alcohol in their vehicles, or the dozens of other safety violations his company has been cited for.
The I-Team also attempted to call the owner, but his voicemail was full.
According to U.S. DOT records, it’s not just the company’s drivers who have been cited for violations, their vehicles have also been cited for dozens of safety violations over the past year.
Records show at least six of those violations were for brakes on their vehicles, that were either defective or not working properly.
According to U.S. DOT, Westfield Transport has five vehicles and five drivers. There’s no documentation that show where they keep their trucks.