WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has declared Georgia-licensed truck driver Johnny Felton, Jr., an imminent hazard and ordered him to immediately cease all commercial vehicle driver operations due to his failure to exercise an appropriate duty of care to the motoring public regarding his medical conditions. 

Felton, a driver for DOT Transportation, Inc., a trucking company based in Mt. Sterling, Ill., was ordered by FMCSA to cease operating following a crash on Nov. 26, 2012, that resulted in the death of Illinois State Trooper Kyle Deatherage near Litchfield, Ill.

"Commercial truck and bus companies and operators that violate federal safety standards and jeopardize public safety will be shut down," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Safety is always our top priority."

FMCSA immediately placed Felton out of service after agency investigators found serious safety concerns surrounding his medical condition  and qualifications under his commercial driver’s license (CDL) issued by Georgia. Investigators discovered that Felton failed to disclose to a medical examiner his disqualifying medical conditions, including his medications prescribed in treating those conditions.

"This case sends a clear message that we will use every tool at our disposal to identify and remove from our roads unsafe operators," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. "Our agency is committed to raising the bar for commercial vehicle and driver safety."

A copy of the imminent hazard out-of-service order can be viewed at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/about/news/2012/Felton-IHOOSO-Redacted.pdf.