75°F
weather icon Partly Cloudy

Feds deem driver in bicyclists’ deaths ‘imminent hazard’

A box truck driver authorities said was high on methamphetamine when he plowed into a group of bicyclists near Searchlight, killing five, has been deemed “an imminent hazard to public safety” by a federal agency.

Authorities say Jordan Barson, 45, had nine times the amount of methamphetamine in his system needed to be legally considered impaired at the time of the Dec. 10 crash on U.S. Highway 95, authorities have said.

He faces five counts of DUI resulting in death, two counts of DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm and seven counts of reckless driving, court records show.

Barson had been scheduled to make his initial court appearance Wednesday, Dec. 30, but it was postponed for a second time until Monday, Jan. 4, because he remained in quarantine.

The state has filed a motion to set Barson’s bail at $1 million and establish conditions for his release if bail was posted, which also was continued until Monday.

Killed in the crash were Las Vegas bicyclists Erin Michelle Ray, 39; Gerrard Suarez Nieva, 41; Michael Todd Murray, 57; Aksoy Ahmet, 48; and Tom Trauger, 57. Four others were injured, most seriously Jerome Ducrocq, who remained hospitalized in critical condition last week.

The bicyclists were with a group of about 20 who set out from Henderson to complete the roughly 130-mile Nipton Loop. All of the bicyclists who were killed or injured were seeking cover from the wind and riding behind the group’s safety escort vehicle when the box truck Barson was driving crashed into them, according to a Nevada Highway Patrol report.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said this week that Barson has been deemed “an imminent hazard to public safety” by the agency. A statement from the agency said that Barson had been served with a federal order Dec. 23 barring him from operating any commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce. Barson holds a commercial driver’s license and was employed by RoadRunner Transport AZ Inc. of Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

The agency said it appears Barson and the transport company were not following federal regulations for transportation using commercial motor vehicles at the time of the crash.

“A subsequent investigation of RoadRunner Transport AZ Inc., found that neither the carrier nor Barson maintained drivers’ records-of-duty status as required by federal regulations,” the agency said in a statement. “FMCSA’s imminent hazard out-of-service order states that Barson’s ‘blatant violations of the federal safety regulations and ongoing and repeated disregard for the safety of the motoring public … substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death to you and (the) motoring public.’”

The agency said Barson and RoadRunner Transport “may be subject to a civil penalty enforcement proceedings brought by FMCSA for violations of the Agency’s safety regulations.”

A message left at a phone number listed in federal records for RoadRunner Transport was not immediately returned Wednesday, Dec. 30.

Boulder City Review Editor Hali Bernstein Saylor contributed to this report.

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter. Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.

MOST READ
THE LATEST
City does U-turn on parking

Last week, the city posted on its social media outlets an invitation to the public to attend an open house May 19 to discuss its plans for parking along Nevada Way between Wyoming and Arizona streets. The plan called for parking in the center of the street.

Memorial Day events set for cemetery

The Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery will again host a ceremony to honor those who have lost their lives in service for the country whether it was during times of peace or wartime.

Robotics team scales high in 2025

The Boulder City High School High Scalers robotics team (AKA Team 3009) recently wrapped up another winning campaign with some big awards.

Thomas reports on strategic plan at council meeting

The new city manager’s first public presentation in a city council meeting was about kind of old news — an update on the five-year strategic plan that was approved by the council in October of last year. The plan covers the years 2025 through 2030.

Council hears update on FY 2026 budget

The months-long process of adopting a city budget for the 2026 fiscal year took another big step forward last week as Budget Director Angela Manninen presented the city council with adjustments that had been made since the preliminary budget was first presented. Fiscal year 2026 begins on July 1.

Grad Walk: A decade of memories

In just a decade it’s become a tradition every senior at Boulder City High School looks forward to, as do public school students who will one day do the same.

Parking town hall scheduled

Mayor Joe Hardy led off this week’s city council meeting with an unexpected statement regarding an item that was not on the agenda. At least not until next week.

Meet BC’s new city manager

Even people with a long history in Southern Nevada get sticker shock when they start to consider a home in Boulder City. And Boulder City’s new city manager is no exception.

A step back in time

Photos by Ian Cruz/Boulder City Review

LMNRA extending popular launch ramp

Those looking to get in some boating time this summer may have to wait a bit longer each time when doing so.