Language Questions Raised in W.Va. Tractor Trailer Accident

Driver in I-79 Crash Unable to Speak English

An article in today's Charleston Gazette focuses on the driver of a tractor trailer who lost control of his vehicle on I-79 and spilled 43,000 pounds of cocoa on the road.

While authorities admit that the driver's license and registration were valid, they remain puzzled as to how the man could obtain a commercial driver's license given his lack of English fluency. Police responding to the scene were unable to get further information from the operator, as he was unable to speak English.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an individual must be able to "read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records," to obtain a commercial driver's license.

Read the entire article here