Naperville Trucking Company Ordered to Shut Down Operations

A crash that killed a toll worker and seriously injured a state trooper has lead to federal regulators ordering DND International, a Naperville trucking company, to shut down its operations Tuesday, according to the Chicago Tribune. 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration began an investigation into DND International after one of its truck drivers, Renato Velasquez, was charged with breaking transport rules, according to the article. 

Velasquez is accused of causing the crash on I-88 in Aurora in January that killed a 39-year-old tollway worker, Vincent Petrella of Wheeling, and seriously injured a 38-year-old state trooper, Trooper Douglas J. Balder of Oswego, according to ABC 7 Chicago. 

The 46-year-old Hanover Park man was also charged with operating a commercial motor vehicle while fatigued or impaired, making a false report of record and duty status, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and failure to yield to stationary emergency vehicles, according to the Daily Herald. 

The Daily Herald reported Wednesday federal regulators ruled that DND International caused an “imminent hazard to public safety" and  “committed widespread, serious violations of federal regulations that protect the safety of the motoring public.”

All of DND's 40 independent contractors were ordered off the road following a shutdown order, which went into effect about 2:50 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Daily Herald. 

Velasquez Court Case Moves Forward 

Meanwhile, Velasquez's lawyer said sleepiness was not the cause of the crash, according to the article.  

His lawyer said his client's vision had been blocked by another semi driving in front of him on I-88 and that when the semi merged, Velsaquez did not have enough time to do the same to avoid the crash, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.