WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has declared Arizona-licensed commercial driver Jordan A. Barson to be an imminent hazard to public safety and has ordered him not to operate any commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce.  Barson was served the federal order on December 23, 2020.

On December 10, 2020, Barson, a commercial driver’s license (CDL) holder employed by RoadRunner Transport AZ Inc., USDOT No. 3451500, of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, was operating a commercial truck on US95 in Clark County, Nevada, when he struck seven bicyclists and the riders' escort vehicle from the rear; five bicyclists were pronounced dead at scene.  Another bicyclist and the driver of the escort vehicle received incapacitating injuries and were transported to the hospital.

Barson was subsequently tested by Nevada Highway Patrol officers for controlled substances and was found positive for amphetamine, and – at a level almost ten times the lawful amount permitted by Nevada state law – methamphetamine.

Barson was charged by the State of Nevada with five counts of Driving Under the Influence Resulting in Death, one count of Driving Under the Influence Resulting in Substantial Bodily Harm, five counts of Reckless Driving Resulting in Death, and one count of Reckless Driving Resulting in Substantial Bodily Harm.

A subsequent investigation of RoadRunner Transport AZ Inc., found that neither the carrier nor Barson maintained drivers' records-of-duty status as required by federal regulations.

FMCSA’s imminent hazard out-of-service order states that Barson’s “blatant violations of the [federal safety regulations] and ongoing and repeated disregard for the safety of the motoring public … substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death to you and motoring public.”

Barson and RoadRunner Transport AZ Inc., also may be subject to a civil penalty enforcement proceedings brought by FMCSA for violations of the Agency’s safety regulations.

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