The trucker who killed an Illinois State Police trooper making a traffic stop late last month has been ordered by the federal government to stop driving immediately.
The U.S. Department of Transportation says Johnny Felton Jr. is an imminent hazard because he failed to exercise appropriate care regarding his medical conditions. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued its order on Nov. 30, four days after Felton struck and killed Trooper Kyle Deatherage on Interstate 55 near Litchfield, about 55 mile north of St. Louis.
Felton, who is licensed out of Georgia, admitted to federal regulators that he lost consciousness before striking Deatherage. Felton was driving for DOT Transportation Inc. in Mount Sterling, Ill. at the time of the accident. His specific medical conditions are blacked out in the FMCSA report, and Felton did not elaborate when contacted by The Associated Press.
According to the federal order, Felton must receive a certificate of good health from a qualified medical examiner and provide that documentation to federal officials before he can resume driving. He could face fines or other criminal sanctions for violating the order.
