BALTIMORE, MARYLAND — Harford County Sheriff’s deputies pursued a stolen hot pink moving truck from New Jersey down Interstate 95 into southeast Baltimore Friday night, deploying multiple tire-deflation devices before the truck finally came to a stop at a gas station on Eastern Avenue with one shredded tire and one tire missing entirely.
The truck, bearing the name “Piece of Cake Moving & Storage” — a New York City-based moving company — was reported stolen out of New Jersey. Deputies followed it down I-95 until it stopped at a gas station in the 6400 block of Eastern Avenue at approximately 9:45 p.m. Multiple deputies surrounded the vehicle and worked with Baltimore Police Department officers to detain the driver. Stop sticks deployed during the chase left one tire shredded and another gone completely.
Baltimore Police remained at the gas station until a tow truck could remove the vehicle. A use of force occurred on the Baltimore city side of the pursuit. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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LIVINGSTON COUNTY, KENTUCKY — Kentucky State Police are asking the public to help locate a New York truck driver who has been indicted on three counts of reckless homicide nearly a year after his semi-truck failed to slow for a construction zone on Interstate 24, triggering a chain-reaction crash that killed a grandmother and her two young grandchildren — one of whom was only 6 years old.
Mansur Kholikov, of Brooklyn, New York, has an active arrest warrant following a Livingston County grand jury indictment handed down on May 15, 2026. A KSP Post 1 detective presented the case to the grand jury on April 1.
The Crash
On July 29, 2024, Kholikov was driving a semi-truck westbound on I-24 near the 32-mile marker in Livingston County when traffic began slowing for a bridge construction zone that had been reduced to one lane. For reasons still under investigation, Kholikov’s semi did not slow down. The truck struck multiple vehicles, triggering secondary collisions involving at least five other vehicles.
When first responders arrived, one vehicle was completely engulfed in flames. Inside were 68-year-old Saundra Dodd of Evansville, Indiana, and her grandchildren — 6-year-old Tallulah Dodd and 8-year-old Pele Doerter. All three died at the scene. Two other people from separate vehicles were airlifted to out-of-state hospitals. Several additional victims were transported to local hospitals. Kholikov reported no injuries.
Where to Call
Anyone with information about Kholikov’s whereabouts is asked to contact Kentucky State Police Post 1 at 270-856-3721 or submit a tip through the KSP website at kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/tip.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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FREMONT COUNTY, IOWA — An Iowa State Patrol trooper clocked a semi-truck traveling at 105 miles per hour on Interstate 29 in Fremont County — while passing a state trooper’s patrol vehicle.
Trooper Moore of ISP District 3 out of Council Bluffs captured the speed on a BEE III Directional Radar System, with the patrol vehicle traveling at 65 mph at the time. When stopped, the truck driver’s response was brief: “My bad.”
“Most drivers would think twice before passing a State Trooper at this speed. Speeds like this should never happen,” Iowa State Patrol said in a post crediting Trooper Moore for the stop.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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SPOKANE, WASHINGTON — A Canadian semi-truck driver who told investigators he had been driving since 2 a.m. fell asleep at the wheel Wednesday morning, sending his truck drifting along a guardrail for 300 feet before it tipped over on Interstate 90, blocking multiple lanes in both directions and triggering a 12-hour cleanup operation.
Washington State Patrol Sgt. Greg Riddell said the crash occurred at approximately 10:15 a.m. as the semi traveled eastbound on I-90 over the bridge crossing Latah Creek. The truck drifted onto the guardrail, the driver overcorrected, struck multiple Jersey barriers, and the semi tipped onto its side. A large pile of debris spilled from the truck, much of it landing under the railroad bridge that crosses I-90 east of Latah Creek.
The driver, Dharampal S. Sidhu, 28, of Surrey, British Columbia, received minor injuries and was treated at the scene. He was ticketed. No hazardous materials were aboard. No other vehicles were involved in the initial crash, though WSP responded to two additional minor collisions caused by the resulting traffic backup. Some vehicles were stuck in the traffic jam for as long as an hour. All freeway lanes were fully reopened approximately 12 hours after the crash.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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LASALLE, ILLINOIS — Firefighters in LaSalle responded to an unusual call on May 8, 2026, after a truck driver at a Flying J truck stop was unable to enter his cab because bees had swarmed the vehicle.
LaSalle Fire Department’s Black shift responded to the Flying J and used a creative application of water to disperse the bees, allowing the driver to get back into his truck and continue on his way.
“With a little creative application of water, the driver was able to enter his truck and continue his journey. All in a day’s work for Black shift and LaSalle Fire,” the department said.
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WARREN, MICHIGAN — Central Transport LLC, a nationwide trucking company based in Warren, Michigan, will pay $5.5 million to resolve a federal lawsuit accusing it of systematically refusing to hire qualified female truck drivers for at least a decade across locations throughout the country.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced the settlement on May 15, 2026. The $5.5 million will be distributed to the four original complainants and a class of other qualified female truck drivers who applied for positions but were not hired.
What the EEOC Found
According to the lawsuit, Central Transport repeatedly passed over qualified female applicants in favor of male truck drivers — many of whom were hired despite being less qualified or having less experience. Female applicants at numerous locations reported being subjected to different hiring procedures than those used for male applicants.
Several female applicants observed company personnel throwing their job applications in the trash at local truck terminals. The Phoenix and El Paso locations did not hire any female truck drivers for a number of years despite having numerous female applicants. At a Dunbar, West Virginia terminal, a dispatcher told a female applicant that corporate offices had instructed him not to hire any female truck drivers.
The EEOC received reports of gender-based discrimination at locations in Atlanta, Georgia; Bartlett, Tennessee; Blue Springs, Missouri; Cheboygan, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Dunbar, West Virginia; Horn Lake, Mississippi; Memphis, Tennessee; North Jackson, Ohio; Phoenix, Arizona; Portland, Oregon; and Springfield, Illinois.
What the Settlement Requires
Under the consent decree signed by Central Transport, the EEOC, and Arizona Federal Court Judge John J. Tuchi, Central Transport must allow affected applicants to apply for positions and participate in the company’s recruitment and hiring processes free from sex-based discrimination and retaliation. The company must also hire an outside consultant to review its hiring policies and procedures for Title VII compliance, institute anti-discrimination training including recordkeeping obligations, and appoint a monitor to verify implementation and report compliance to the EEOC.
“Unfortunately, sex discrimination in hiring continues to be a problem in some industries. It is illegal for employers to refuse to hire women because of their sex. We appreciate Central Transport’s willingness to resolve this case with an early settlement. We hope that through this consent decree, Central Transport’s efforts will result in a hiring process free from sex discrimination,” said Mary Jo O’Neill, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Phoenix District Office.
“Female workers who are qualified for a job should be given an equal chance to compete for the position with men. We also remind employers that they need to retain job applications and hiring records, particularly when they have received charges of discrimination. The EEOC is committed to fighting for the rights of all qualified workers, including women,” said EEOC Phoenix District Director Melinda Caraballo.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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COLORADO — The Colorado State Patrol issued more than 2,400 citations to commercial vehicle drivers for failing to carry chains during the 2025-2026 chain law season, and is reminding truckers that enforcement continues through May 31.
CSP released the season-to-date enforcement totals on May 14, covering operations from September 2025 through the present:
• Citations at Ports of Entry — 2,218
• Citations at Mobile Checkpoints — 187
• Port Runners (drivers who bypassed checkpoints and were followed and pulled over) — 317
At mobile checkpoints, troopers found that 9.6% of commercial drivers contacted were in violation of the Must Carry Law.
The Law
Under Senate Bill 24-100, all commercial vehicles over 16,001 pounds GVWR must carry four tire chains or approved traction devices between September 1 and May 31. The requirement applies to I-70 from Morrison to the Utah state line and several additional state and U.S. highways west of I-25. Commercial vehicles are also restricted from using left lanes in designated mountainous stretches of I-70, including Glenwood Canyon, Dowd Junction, Vail Pass, the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnels, Georgetown Hill, and Floyd Hill.
Fines for noncompliance are $100 for failing to carry chains, $500 for failing to chain up when required, and $1,000 for blocking traffic due to a lack of traction.
Why It Matters
CSP Chief Col. Matthew C. Packard said keeping I-70 open through the Colorado mountains is critical to the state’s economy and its communities. “We know that I-70 is also ‘main street’ for many of our mountain communities for commuting and emergency service access. Keeping the interstate open through the Colorado mountains is crucial for the state’s economy. In addition to keeping our tourism industries thriving, we also need the corridor to transport goods and life-saving services,” Packard said.
With two weeks remaining in the 2025-2026 chain law season, CSP said proactive chain checks will continue at Ports of Entry and along the I-70 corridor.
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LAREDO, TEXAS — U.S. Border Patrol agents stopped a commercial truck on Interstate 35 in Laredo after the driver attempted to bypass an immigration checkpoint and discovered 19 people — including an unaccompanied minor — concealed inside the belly dump trailer.
The Laredo Sector stop was detailed by USBP on May 15. Agents intercepted the commercial truck pulling a belly dump trailer as it attempted to avoid the checkpoint. During the stop, agents discovered the 19 individuals wedged inside the belly of the trailer. USBP described the situation as a “desperate smuggling attempt.”
The driver was arrested on human smuggling charges. The 19 people found inside the trailer were turned over for processing and deportation.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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TUCSON, ARIZONA — A semi-truck car hauler driver was killed Wednesday after a tire blowout caused the rig to hit a guardrail, roll into the median, and catch fire on Interstate 10 in Tucson, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The crash happened at 2:09 p.m. on May 13 on eastbound I-10 near milepost 268, near Valencia Road. AZDPS said the tractor-trailer car hauler was traveling eastbound in the left lane when it experienced a tire blowout.
Tire Blowout Led to Fatal Rollover
According to AZDPS, the blowout caused the semi-truck to strike the guardrail before it rolled into the median and caught fire.
The car hauler was carrying 10 vehicles, and authorities said all of them caught fire. Officials also confirmed that several of the vehicles were electric vehicles.
The driver was the only person inside the cab and was pronounced dead at the scene. As of the latest information provided, authorities were still working to notify the driver’s family, and the driver’s name had not been released.
Witnesses Say Driver Steered Away From Their Vehicle
Amanda and Raymond Cota said they were traveling home on I-10 when they saw the tractor-trailer’s front passenger-side tire blow out near their vehicle.
“We were right at the tire of the semi, it was right by our driver’s window when it popped,” Amanda said. “And then he just started veering towards us, and I saw him grab the wheel to correct the blowout.”
Amanda said the driver appeared to steer away from their vehicle and into the concrete median before the truck began flipping and caught fire.
“The truck just started flipping after that,” Amanda said.
The Cotas, who have three children, said they believe the driver’s final action kept the crash from hitting them.
“That just flashed before our eyes as not making it home to our babies,” Amanda said.
Fire Intensified After Crash
After the rollover, the car hauler caught fire with the loaded vehicles onboard.
The Cotas said the flames grew quickly, with repeated explosions coming from the wreckage.
“You just kept hearing explosions, after explosion, after explosion,” Amanda said. “And then the fire just kept getting bigger and bigger.”
I-10 Reopened Thursday Morning
The deadly crash and fire shut down eastbound I-10 at Valencia Road for hours while crews worked the scene, managed the fire, and cleared the wreckage.
The road reopened Thursday morning, May 14.
Raymond Cota said he is grateful for the driver’s last maneuver.
“I thank him,” Raymond said. “Because if it weren’t for those maneuvers, I don’t think we would be here talking to you right now.”
Amanda also shared a message for the driver’s family.
“My prayers go out to this family at this time of grieving,” she said.
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BELTON, TEXAS — Texas officials have identified the driver killed in a two-vehicle crash that sent a trash truck into a Belton convenience store on Wednesday afternoon.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, 50-year-old Vernon Richard Loechel of Belton was driving a 2010 Audi westbound on Farm-to-Market Road 439 when the crash occurred. A 2010 Peterbilt trash truck was traveling eastbound at the same time.
Audi Crossed Into Path of Trash Truck
Investigators said the Audi crossed into the eastbound lane and into the path of the Peterbilt, causing the collision.
The impact sent the trash truck across the westbound lane and into Lake Food Mart along FM 439. Earlier reports identified the truck as a Pure Sanitation Services trash truck.
Officials have not said why Loechel crossed into the eastbound lane.
Loechel was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Duffield. His family has been notified.
Truck Driver and Store Occupants Injured
The driver of the trash truck was taken to Baylor Scott & White with non-serious injuries.
The Bell County Sheriff’s Office said two people who were inside the convenience store also suffered minor injuries.
Deputies and Texas DPS troopers responded to the crash around 12:30 p.m. Texas Highway Patrol, the Belton Police Department, Sparta Valley Fire Department, and Belton EMS also responded to the scene.
The roadway has since reopened.
Texas DPS is continuing to investigate the crash.
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