Deadly I-10 Ontario Crash: Driver Vetting and Random Drug Testing Matter


Another preventable tragedy hit California’s I-10 this week.

A tractor-trailer slammed into several vehicles near Ontario, killing three people and injuring several more.

By that night, CHP confirmed what every safety manager dreads hearing: the driver was arrested for driving under the influence of narcotics.

And here’s the part that makes every carrier go cold:

“The red truck was traveling at a high rate of speed when everyone else was stopped,” CHP Sgt. Calmelat told CBS Los Angeles. “He didn’t hit his brakes, he didn’t try to slow down, he just went full force into the back of another truck, crushing two other cars.”

One of the passenger vehicles caught fire on impact, sending flames and thick smoke into the air.
No mechanical issue. No weather excuse. Just a driver who should never have been behind the wheel.

The Bigger Picture

Events like this don’t just happen. They point to deeper cracks in how drivers are hired, trained, and managed on the road.

You can have clean equipment and solid coverage. Even the best CSA scores in the country won’t save you if one driver makes the wrong move.

CHP said the crash happened around 1:15 Tuesday afternoon on the westbound I-10. Traffic was at a standstill. The red truck never hit the brakes. It slammed into a vehicle, went through two others, then veered right into a parked tractor-trailer on the shoulder.

Two people died on scene. Another died later at the hospital. Several others were hurt.

This crash didn’t just destroy vehicles. It shattered lives and put an entire operation under the microscope.

Random Testing Is More Than a Checkbox

Most carriers run pre-employment drug tests. But far fewer keep up strong random testing after the driver’s hired.

That’s where things fall apart.

Random drug testing does three things:

  1. It catches hidden use. Drug habits or prescription abuse often start after onboarding.
  2. It deters behavior. When testing is unpredictable, drivers think twice.
  3. It protects your business. If something goes wrong, your records show you took action.

DOT’s 50% annual random rate is a starting point, not the goal. The best fleets go beyond that with quarterly pulls or targeted tests.

You don’t need a crash to find out who’s using. You need consistency and documentation.

Vetting Never Ends

Good vetting doesn’t stop with background checks and MVRs.

Smart fleets track:
• CSA scores and violation patterns
• ELD logs for fatigue or HOS issues
• Telematics for speed and braking
• Claims that signal a trend

If the data shows a problem and you ignore it, underwriters won’t. They’ll price that risk straight into your renewal.

The Insurance Fallout

A crash like this doesn’t just hit one policy. It triggers a chain reaction:

• Claim reserves spike. Multi-fatality losses lead to massive payouts.
• Defense costs explode. Attorneys go straight for negligent hiring and oversight.
• Renewal options dry up. Underwriters question the whole safety program.

Even if your insurer pays the claim, the hit to your DOT number sticks. And the premium hike that follows? You’ll feel that for years.

Building a Stronger Safety Wall

• Boost testing frequency
• Rotate your random pool fairly
• Audit your drug testing records
• Educate drivers about meds that impair reaction time
• Document next steps when someone fails or refuses
• Train dispatch to stop unsafe trips before they start

This isn’t just about DOT compliance. It’s about showing underwriters—and the courtroom—that you take safety seriously.

The Real Cost of Looking Away

One impaired-driver crash can end a company.
It’s not just the legal mess. There’s the emotional trauma, the lawsuits, and the reputation hit you don’t recover from.

Skipping random testing doesn’t save money. It puts everything at risk.

Truck U Take

Trucking isn’t where you take chances on sobriety.
If your safety program still follows only the DOT minimums, you’re already behind.
Random testing protects your people, your policy, and every car in front of your truck.

Because when a driver never hits the brakes, everybody pays the price.

Truck U Tip

We build insurance and safety strategies that actually protect carriers, not just check boxes.
Our safety partner, Fleet Regulators, can help get your program audit-ready.  Fleet Regulators x Truck U

📞 254-294-7798
📧 info@trucku.biz

Disclosure:

This post is for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice, insurance advice, or a substitute for calling your agent. Truck U is good, but we’re not psychic. Policies vary, laws change, and courtrooms get weird. Don’t make decisions based solely on something you read on the internet, unless it’s from us, in writing, with your name on it.

All opinions are our own and do not represent the views of any carrier, employer, or underwriting department that occasionally wishes we were quieter on LinkedIn.

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