MALAKWA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA — A 46-year-old Calgary truck driver was fined $1,674 and had his tractor-trailer immediately removed from the road after a BC Highway Patrol officer pulled him over on Highway 1 near Malakwa in heavy rain and darkness on September 26 — and found a cab held together with ratchet straps, a missing front grille, bald and defective tires, detached hydraulic and air lines, a diesel leak, an unsecured load of steel bars, and a one-year-old child riding unrestrained in his mother’s arms.
The stop was initiated around 7:45 a.m. because the truck had no functioning taillights. The driver produced a valid Alberta Class 1 licence and proof of insurance but could not provide an electronic driver log. The inspection uncovered defective lights and brakes, missing windshield wipers, a cracked windshield, no front grille over the radiator, missing and defective seat belts, bald and defective tires, detached hydraulic and air lines, a diesel leak, and a load of steel bars held down only by gravity.
The cab itself was being held together with ratchet straps.
Officers also found a one-year-old boy in the cab being held in the arms of his mother, who was also not wearing a seatbelt.
The truck and trailer were placed out of service immediately and cannot be re-licensed until all defects are repaired at the owner’s expense.
“Motorists are acutely aware of the risks of unsafe big rigs, and the BCHP is always on the lookout and will take immediate action whenever we can,” said BC Highway Patrol Sgt. Michael McLaughlin. “We’re also going to support and encourage safe professional drivers by leveling the playing field and removing people who are cutting corners.”
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