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Amanda Butterfield ReportingSeveral serious accidents on Utah highways recently have taken two lives. They've all been tied to commercial trucks not safe enough to even be on the highway. So, it's time for some action.
The Utah Highway Patrol worries truck drivers are cutting corners on safety. One driver who almost died told Eyewitness News tonight it is a big problem.
But authorities have a plan to get safety back on the streets.
They're planning a sting operation-- spot inspections without a warning-- and won't let us say when or where it's going to happen, just that it's got to be done.
A truck driver we talked to, who almost died, agrees.
Truck driver: "I think it's a great idea."
This truck driver doesn't want to be on camera for fear of losing his job. But he told KSL trucks with bad equipment are everywhere.
Truck driver: "I think people would be definitely angry about the violations that go on every day."
And he knows first hand. He was the driver of a cement truck that lost its brakes a few weeks ago in Draper and went 70 miles an hour down an embankment.
Truck driver: "I figured I was done and just didn't want to hit anybody."
Weeks later, on the same road, a truck crashed with brakes that never would have passed inspection. The driver died.
And though a blown tire caused a wreck last Saturday that also killed the driver, UHP says its brakes were so bad it also should not have been on the road.
Sgt. Greg Lundell/UHP: "We want safe trucks driving on our highways."
So UHP and several different agencies are going to randomly stop trucks and inspect them, and if they don't pass:
Sgt. Greg Lundell/UHP: "The trucks are placed out of service until the equipment is fixed on the roadside."
So why do truck companies or truck drivers get in trucks they haven't properly checked or even know are unsafe?
Sgt. Lundell/UHP: "They're trying to make budget. High fuel costs, and other reasons. Sometimes they're just in a hurry."
Other times, it's just fear.
Truck driver: "Even if you know your load is illegal to drive, it's up to you to deny the load. But it's also a risk of getting fired."
Here's what I can tell you about the sting: It's going to be very soon, and KSL will be there.
