Trucking Company Charged with 15 Safety Violations after Fatal Crash

By Amber Carini

Published on August 03, 2007

Among the violations cited are that K.W. Express failed to file vehicle inspection reports and that it permitted drivers to work before their drug test results were available.

The accident that sparked the investigation occurred on southbound I-5 in Mission Viejo when one of K.W. Express' big rigs hit 30 year-old Lori Coble's minivan from behind. The crash killed Coble's three young children and injured her and her mother-in-law.

The truck driver, Jorge Miguel Rodriguez, 37, said he was driving 55 to 60 mph in the slow lane when traffic suddenly stopped. He states that he tried to brake, but was unable to stop before hitting the van.

Company spokesman Bill Furlow stated that K.W. Express will comply with the Department of Transportation's requirements and that the company will have rectified the violations cited by the next federal inspection.

The crash remains under investigation, and the Coble family is considering taking legal action against Rodriguez, KW-Express, and Caltrans.

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