After Tennessee truck driver Eric Ronald Scott was arrested in for two alcohol-related events, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ordered him to not operate a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce.

After receiving his commercial driver’s license from the state of Tennessee in late October 2016, Scott was arrested in two separate alcohol-involved events spanning a four-day period.

On Dec. 31, 2016, the Berlin, Vt., Police Department responded to a call at a local hotel parking lot when Scott was found asleep in the cab of his tractor-trailer. Following a breath test that detected the presence of alcohol, Scott was arrested for domestic assault.

He was released from police custody on Jan. 2, and the following evening the Berlin Police Department responded to a multi-vehicle crash that involved Scott in his truck. Scott was on his way out of Burlington, Vt., en route to Memphis, Tenn., when he jackknifed his tractor-trailer, striking a stop sign and causing three passenger vehicles to be forced off the road. After another alcohol breath test detected the presence of alcohol, Scott was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Scott was declared an imminent hazard to public safety. FMCSA’s order stated that Scott's continued operation of a CMV in interstate commerce “… substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death to you and/or the motoring public if not discontinued immediately.”

Civil penalties of up to $3,100 may be assessed for each violation of operating a commercial motor vehicle in violation of the order.  Knowing and/or willful violation of the order may also result in criminal penalties.

Scott also may be subject to a civil penalty enforcement proceeding brought by FMCSA for his violation of the agency’s safety regulations.