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Trucker Crashes After Hiding Diabetes

A Texas truck driver spent four weeks in the hospital and faces charges for violating federal truck safety regulations after going into insulin shock and crashing his truck

by Staff
April 17, 2001
1 min to read


A Texas truck driver spent four weeks in the hospital and faces charges for violating federal truck safety regulations after going into insulin shock and crashing his truck.

The Knoxville (Tenn.) News-Sentinel reported that Darrell Joe of Humble, Texas, has known about his diabetes for three years. Federal regulations prohibit insulin-dependent diabetics from interstate driving, so when oral medication didn't control the disease, Joe tried self-injecting liquid medication. But without the guidance of a doctor, who might have reported him to officials and led to the loss of Joe's commercial driver's license, the trucker apparently wasn't giving himself the proper dosage.
On March 14, Joe's blood-sugar level plummeted and he went into insulin shock, making him disoriented and uncoordinated. As the truck traveled eastbound on I-40/75 near Knoxville, motorists started reporting Joe's truck weaving all over the road. The truck finally crashed through a guardrail, down an embankment and over onto its top.
Joe, who remembers nothing about the events leading up to the crash, suffered severe head injuries. Although he was released from a Knoxville hospital last week, he still must undergo rehabilitation.
Joe will be cited on charged of violating federal trucking regulations regarding insulin-dependent diabetics. He will probably have his CDL revoked.

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