Semi driver talk about safety on the roads

Palm Coast semi crash leaves 1 dead

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Ken McCarthy drives a moving truck out of Woodstock, Ill. He's spending the night at the TA Truck Service station in St. Johns County.

After several recent, major accidents involving semi trucks, including the tanker that exploded on Christmas Eve morning, Channel 4 asked McCarthy what it's like to drive a big truck.

"People in cars, we call them four-wheelers. They cut us off, they're impatient, they get nervous around trucks so they do a lot of offensive driving instead of defensive driving," said McCarthy.

Often times, McCarthy said they're also not paying attention.

"I'd say 1 out of every 3 cars somebody's texting and driving, even merging onto the highway with their children in the back," McCarthy said. "We have a higher view so we see everything."

When some truck drivers learned about Christopher McEuen's driving record, they were disappointed to know he was still on the road.

"I have kids on the road, too, like everybody else. That's scary," said McCarthy. "It should be kinda like a three strikes, you're out policy like they do with felons and prisoners. After you have three major violations, he wouldn't have been on the road anymore if they had a policy like that."

McCarthy showed Channel 4 some of the safety features semis are equipped with.

The truck's side mirrors help truck drivers see what is on their passenger side, but obviously they have a really bad blind spot. That's where the little window on the side comes into play because they see cars that are right next to them that they normally wouldn't be able to see.

"At night time especially I could see headlights or a shadow," said McCarthy. "I just really go out of my way to look before I merge to that right-hand lane, to save him and myself obviously."

However, problems arise on the road even when people are following proper protocol. FHP is still investigating the details of the most recent crash involving a man killed right before Christmas.