Chemical Tanker Driver Sentenced For Driving Drunk On Highway 29

May 15, 2014

A Milton man has been sentenced to jail for being drunk while driving a chemical tanker truck along Highway 29 in North Escambia.

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said a citizen’s tip about 5:30 a.m. on January 14 about a trucker driving erratically  led to deputies stopping the northbound tanker truck full of maleic anhydride on Highway 29 near Tedder Road, just south of Century.

The driver, 35-year old Alex Victorovich Kozlov of Milton exhibited odd behavior and an odor of alcohol was detected by deputies, the Sheriff’s Office said. He failed a field sobriety test and was arrested for driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage with a blood alcohol level greater than .15. Deputies reported finding a half empty body of vodka in the cab of the truck.

Kozlov was convicted of the charges against him and sentence by Judge Darlene Dickey to nine months in the Escambia County Jail and 50 hours of community service. His driver’s license was also suspended for 12 months.

Maleic anhydride is the acid anhydride of maleic acid and is used primarily in the formation of unsaturated polyester resins for use in boats, autos, trucks, buildings, piping, and electrical goods. It is also used to make pesticides and other organic compounds, according to the EPA. Acute inhalation exposure of humans to maleic anhydride has been observed to cause irritation of the respiratory tract, burning in the larynx, reflex cough, lacrimation, headaches, eye irritation, and corneal burns.

Comments

11 Responses to “Chemical Tanker Driver Sentenced For Driving Drunk On Highway 29”

  1. Robert on May 16th, 2014 3:36 pm

    Maleic anhydride is a low hazard profile chemical. Maleic anhydride rapidly hydrolyzes to form maleic acid in the presence of water and hence environmental exposures to maleic anhydride are not expected to occur. Maleic anhydride and maleic acid are biodegraded under aerobic conditions in sewage sludge and in soil and water as well.

    From wikipedia

  2. Rick on May 16th, 2014 7:45 am

    Maleic Anhydride is not “deadly”. I worked at the plant that manufactures it, and have loaded many trucks and railcars of it. It freezes to a solid at 52.5 degrees C. or 125.6 degrees F.

  3. Jeannie on May 16th, 2014 1:18 am

    It’s a shame this driver only got nine months in jail and licenses suspended for only a year. The kind of chemical he was hauling is highly deadly and can cause great bodily harm. Roy and I use to work for the same transportation company in Cantonment. We’ve seen what Maleic can and will do to a person. Although points DO NOT double the driver can hire an attorney to try and get the points dropped off his licenses, which highly doubt it due to the nature. I can only pray he didn’t drive for the company I use to work for.

    Just thankful he was caught in time. I’d like to see the company get fined for NOT properly performing routine drug testing as they should, but that’s just my opinion.

  4. JDG on May 15th, 2014 3:19 pm

    Maybe he won’t never drive a truck again. At John, points do not double on CDLs anymore when you get a speeding ticket.

  5. patti on May 15th, 2014 1:28 pm

    I don’t think this person should drive at all! NOT just BIG TRUCKS, but ALL vehicles!! Can you imagine what would have happen if he’s hit someone, run off the road, or overturned! It’s horrible to think of!!

  6. John on May 15th, 2014 8:48 am

    If you carry a CDL license your B/A drops to .04. So this guy was almost 4 times over the limit. You cannot go to traffic school to get points off your record also the points on speeding in your car double if you have a CDL license.

  7. Mike on May 15th, 2014 6:50 am

    DUI, for a trucker, whether in a semi or not, seems to mean no more trucking for him/her. They may get their CDL back, but the insurance companies make it hard for the driver to find a job. This might be a good thing. :)

  8. JDG on May 15th, 2014 5:40 am

    Get a new career.

  9. Jane on May 15th, 2014 5:16 am

    I hope he never drives a truck again. He is too dangerous to be behind the wheel of a large truck…a lethal weapon.

  10. Oversight on May 15th, 2014 5:15 am

    Aha ha! So he gets a possible death sentence during the next nine months!

  11. Roy German on May 15th, 2014 4:20 am

    I pull the same stuff from the same spot, Maleic is in more stuff than that,its in tooth paste- diet sugars- hair spray -motor oils, they mix another chem with it.It becomes malic acid. we have to run in transit heat on it to keep it hot its 150 degrees it will give you chemical pneumonia if you breath it.