The driver of a box truck that careened into a group ride in Nevada last week has been charged with five counts of DUI resulting in death, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The Nevada Highway Patrol identified the driver as Jordan Alexander Barson, according to the newspaper. He also faces six counts of reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm, and one count of DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm.
The dead include Erin Michelle Ray, 39; Gerrard Suarez Nieva, 41; Michael Todd Murray, 57; Aksoy Ahmet, 48; and Tom Trauger, 57. The injured include Jerome Ducrocq and Jose Vasquez.
Court records did not indicate that Barson had been arrested as of Wednesday morning, according to the newspaper.
Mad Blog Media 
Son of a bitch.
The emergency people turned up to the scene at 9:39 a.m. Which means this dude must’ve been drinking some serious breakfast. Oops, pardon me, wherever did I leave my objectivity? “Allegedly.”
Maybe I missed it, but did they get the DUI from a blood draw analysis? I recall the original article said that DUI was not thought to be a factor. Or did the cop not do his job?
Yep. They drew blood.
KTNV reports that the driver had meth in his system. He’s reportedly in custody and awaiting extradition from Mohave County, Arizona.
P O S
Bastard… I hope he gets jail time but we all know how that usually turns out
Well, there was a retired Vegas cop along on this ride, so fingers crossed.
The last ghost bike here, almost 2 years ago, was a drunk and drugged driver in a work vehicle rear ending a cyclist in the marked and signed bike lane.
Riding a bike requires something of a leap of faith, doesn’t it? Sometimes I wonder whether it’s a great idea to be sharing the road with such a wide variety of vehicles and their operators, who may be operating something other than their vehicles as they approach from the rear at 20 mph over the posted limit.
This would make me look deeper into Mr. Barson’s history as well as the history of the company that employed him (assuming that he was driving an employers vehicle as an employee).
Perhaps he was a contractor? That still does not absolve the employer of all liability AFAIK, but WDIK?
Now we get to see the system work its magic. Remember this guy? He finally got his, but it took the better part of quite some time.
I read the linked newspaper article both times looking for employment or more info about the truck – nothing. Also, no age on the driver. Poor reporting.
NBC says our man is 45, Libby. The Washington Post and The Associated Press agree, with AP saying he’s a Kingman resident.
AP also has more details about the crash and its aftermath, saying the driver told investigators he fell asleep at the wheel while a tox’ screen found him pretty well meth’d-up. Hard to cop a nap at 9:30 in the a.m. with a skinful of speed. Don’t ask how I know. Dude is not exactly light on his feet in the cop-cam, though.
Dude got famous right fast after the AP picked up the story and ran with it. He’s coast to coast now.
Meanwhile, I’ll give the Review-Journal staff some props for getting right after stories about each of the five fatalities. They had those posted quickly.
Another thought: How do you “fall asleep” on your “regular work route” between Las Vegas, Bullhead City, and Kingman? I’ve made that drive in daylight and in darkness, in both directions, before Interbike and afterward. Toonces the Driving Cat could handle it without spilling his beer. What’s this guy delivering, and for whom? Blue meth for Zombie Walter White?
Meth. This reminds me of the Matt Trujillo killing in the Duke City. Matt’s was about to be related to a good friend of mine by marriage. Small world.
https://www.abqjournal.com/34655/a-life-well-lived-gone-a-life-poorly-lived-goes-on.html