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Trucking company from I-480 crash also involved in deadly crash last year

480-sign-crash
Posted at 5:39 PM, Sep 25, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-25 18:32:44-04

CLEVELAND, OH — A Cleveland-based trucking company involved in a deadly crash on I-480 Thursday, was also involved in a deadly accident last October according to state records obtained by 5 On Your Side Investigators.

According to records from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, a Midland Concrete and Sand Transportation dump truck hit a cement median barrier on the Ohio Turnpike near Strongsville last October. The driver of that truck, 59 year-old Raynard Holmes, died.

An inspection report from that crash found the truck blew a tire, causing the truck to veer into the concrete barrier and catch fire.

That was one of five inspections conducted in the last year on the company's trucks by troopers.

Records show in three of those inspections, troopers ordered the trucks out-of-service because of safety violations.

In one instance, according to records, an inspection found a truck tire was worn down to its metal belts.

Another found a tire rated for 120 psi was operating nearly flat with just 14 pounds of air pressure.

Despite the inspections, the commander in charge of commercial vehicle enforcement said Friday there were no red-flag violations in the company's history in the last year.

"The reports that we've seen for this company, there's nothing that's outside of what we've seen from any other inspection from any other company," said Lt. John Thorne of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

For the second straight day, phone calls to Midland Concrete and Sand Transportation's owner have not been returned.

On Thursday, troopers said one of the company's dump trucks was driving with its bed fully raised when it struck an overhead highway sign, causing the sign and its supports to crash down onto Interstate 480 westbound near the State Road exit in Cleveland.

Investigators said the falling sign hit and killed the driver of a pick-up truck.

Troopers identified the victim as 62-year-old Daniel Ripepi, of Independence.

Why the dump truck was driving with its bed raised remains under investigation.

RELATED:

Driver killed on I-480 Thursday morning identified as A. Ripepi & Sons funeral director

1 dead after dump truck with its bed up knocks highway sign onto pickup on I-480 WB near State Road

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