Bill intro’d in House to criminalize all staged-accident fraud
After legislation was introduced in both chambers of Congress this year and last that would make intentionally staging an accident with a commercial motor vehicle a federal crime, a new bill takes that a step farther, making any staged accident a federal crime.
The “Stop Auto Fraud Act of 2026” was introduced in the U.S. House this week by Reps. Laura Gillen (D-New York), Troy Nehls (R-Texas), Josh Gottheimer (D-New Jersey) and Vince Fong (R-California).
It targets insurance fraud schemes where bad actors deliberately cause, stage or fabricate motor vehicle accidents to file false claims and defraud insurance companies for large cash payouts.
The bill would impose penalties, including possible jail time, for violations. Any collected fines would be paid into the Highway Trust Fund for local and interstate roads, bridges and public mass transit systems. Prison time under the bill could be up to 10 years for a staged accident, or up to 20 years for a staged accident that causes serious bodily injury.
[Related: Insurance to defend against the nuclear threat of post-crash litigation]
A press release from Gillen’s office highlighted that insurance carriers reported 38,270 incidents of suspected motor vehicle insurance fraud to the New York State Department of Financial Services in 2023, a 58% increase from 2020.
Trucking groups including the American Trucking Associations, Truckload Carriers Association, National Tank Truck Carriers, Trucking Association of New York and others have offered support for the legislation.
“On highways across the country, brazen criminals are intentionally colliding with other motorists in an attempt to score a big payday, and commercial trucks are a top target,” said Alex Rosen, ATA’s SVP of Legislative Affairs. “Their selfish actions put the lives of innocent Americans at risk and contribute to soaring insurance premiums that raise costs for all consumers. We need stronger penalties to deter those who perpetrate these schemes, which is why ATA strongly supports the Stop Auto Fraud Act.”
[Related: Senate bill looks to make staged truck crashes a federal crime]
Mobile weigh-station bypass in Oregon now available in PrePass app
PrePass announced the statewide site expansion of the PrePass Bypass Mobile App in Oregon. Deployment by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will allow qualified carriers to bypass the 19 participating weigh stations at highway speed and receive in-cab safety alerts, too.
Two additional sites are expected to become operational by year’s end.
“We’re excited to bring the PrePass system to Oregon to advance commercial vehicle enforcement, save motor carriers time and improve highway safety,” said ODOT Commerce and Compliance Division Administrator Carla Phelps. “What makes PrePass stand out is its in-cab safety alerts for drivers, including notifications about steep grades, sharp curves and low clearances.” Future enhancement could include warnings for work zones and weather events.
The PrePass Mobile App allows qualified carriers to receive bypass decisions and customizable safety alerts directly on their mobile or telematics device without requiring additional hardware in the vehicles or infrastructure on the roadway.
The Oregon deployment expands the PrePass Safety Alliance’s footprint in the United States. The organization currently has partnerships with trucking associations in all 50 states, and PrePass is currently operational in 47 states with well over 1.6 billion successful bypasses.
Tanker leaking asphalt awarded Georgia’s ‘violation of the week’
A truck pulling a tanker loaded with asphalt was highlighted by the Georgia Department of Public Safety as having the agency’s “violation of the week,” according to a Facebook post.
The truck was selected for an inspection after officers noticed “an abnormally strong smell of asphalt.” Before the inspection, officers noticed hazardous material on the exterior of the tank, which is a violation.
Upon inspection, “it was discovered the cargo tank was leaking asphalt from multiple places on the tank.” On top of that, “the driver was also found to be driving with a disqualified CDL,” Georgia DPS added.
Both the truck and the driver were placed out-of-service.
Highway Angel recognized for pulling co-driver to safety after crash
The Truckload Carriers Association named MC Carrier LLC driver apprentice Gabriel Popa a Highway Angel for his actions following a devastating crash in southern Idaho. His efforts saved the life of his mentor.
Gabriel Popa
At the time of the crash, Popa’s mentor, Nahum Camacho, was off-duty and asleep in the sleeper berth, taking his 10-hour break. Popa was traveling southbound on U.S. 93 when he came around a curve and suddenly saw the oncoming vehicle in his lane.
“I started braking and I went to the left because I saw this person go toward my shoulder, so I tried to swerve to the left so I could avoid them,” Popa said.
Despite Popa’s efforts to avoid the vehicle, the two collided. The impact severely damaged both vehicles and left debris and equipment scattered throughout the truck. Popa said he immediately noticed smoke and the smell of burning oil.
Camacho, who had been thrown from the sleeper berth in the collision, was disoriented and unable to get out of the truck. Popa exited through his own door, assessed the scene and then returned to help his mentor.
“I was like, ‘Hey, you gotta get out,’ because I didn’t know if the truck was gonna catch on fire,” Popa said.
When Camacho could not escape on his own, Popa grabbed his hand and pulled him from the wreckage. Camacho was barefoot and without a shirt in the frigid early-morning conditions, so Popa helped carry him to a nearby vehicle where he could take shelter while they waited for emergency responders.
“My co-driver, when I put him in the car, I tried to grab him a blanket or something, because he didn’t have a shirt on. He was barefoot, and he was just shivering,” Popa said.
Although Popa was only beginning his trucking career at the time of the crash, he drew on previous experience as a U.S. Marine, where he drove Class B trucks stationed in Okinawa, Japan.
Asked why he immediately went back to help his mentor, despite his own injuries and the dangerous condition of the wreckage, Popa put his actions simply:
“I was gonna do what I had to do whenever I was there trying to get my co-driver out,” he said.
