Drug-Influenced Tennessee Truck Driver Sentenced to 12 Years in Fatal Wreck

Recently, a Tennessee truck driver was sentenced to nearly 12 years for a fatal wreck which occurred in 2011 on Interstate 40 in Orange County, North Carolina.  The accident tragically resulted in the death of three individuals.  Ronald Graybeal, a 53-year-old man from Newport, Tennessee, was charged with three counts of felony death by vehicle, driving while impaired, two counts of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and methadone, and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.  Graybeal elected to waive his right to a jury trial and accepted a plea deal to three counts of involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and marijuana possession.

The Superior Court Judge W. Douglas Parsons elected to sentence Graybeal to a maximum of 11 years and 140 days in prison.  Graybeal, who has remained in prison since his initial arrest in June of 2011, apologized to the victims’ families before sentencing.

The facts of the case are as follows: Graybeal was driving a tractor-trailer for Tennessee based company Hawley Transport.  He was traveling west on I-40 when he ran into a traffic jam near exit 15-501, where the highway goes from three to two lanes.  Graybeal failed to stop, slamming into a Ford F-150 pickup truck at a whooping speed of 66 to 67 m.p.h.  The force of the impact caused the pickup truck to wrap around the front of the big rig, and pushed it into a 2008 Chevrolet Equinox.  The big rig, pushing the pickup truck, then rammed full force into a Nissan Maxima, causing it to catch fire.  The tractor-trailer then hit a 20-foot box truck.

This harrowing multi-vehicle accident resulted in the deaths of three individuals: John Paul Llanio; Barbara Boda Caldwell; and Gary DeWayne Smith.

Accident reconstruction experts determined that Graybeal did not apply his brakes until after or just seconds before he hit the first vehicle.  The N.C. Highway Patrol found a bottle of methadone in Graybeal’s tractor-trailer and a blood toxicology test was ordered.  Graybeal was still impaired three hours after the accident.

Graybeal’s case highlights a very real problem among truck drivers, one that often leads to accidents: substance abuse.  A new study released revealed that over half of all truck drivers polled admitted to drinking and driving and about 30% admitted to using amphetamines.   In 2008, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Roadcheck found that 1% of all truck drivers who were stopped were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.   When you multiply that number by the number of trucks of the road today, the number of truck drivers driving 80,000 pound rigs while under the influence is truly alarming.

If you or a loved one is injured in a trucking accident and suspect the driver, like Graybeal, may have been under the influence, it is imperative you consult with a knowledgeable trucking accident attorney as soon as possible after the accident.  A trucking accident attorney will ensure the proper investigations are conducted to determine whether alcohol or drugs played a factor in the accident.  Trucking companies can be held liable for placing drivers on the road that they had reason to believe may be under the influence.  An experienced truck accident attorney will analyze the facts of your case and determine your best course of action.

The truck accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer provide unparalleled representation to the victims of trucking accidents in Tennessee.  We will immediately investigate the facts of the accident and quickly gather the necessary evidence to pursue a claim of negligence against the under the influence truck driver and the negligent trucking company.  Our attorney staff has represented thousands of truck accident victims and knows the vital steps to a successful recovery.  Call us today at 901-680-9777 for a free case evaluation.