The tanker truck that struck Massachusetts State Police Trooper Tamar Bucci’s cruiser late Thursday night was carrying 10,000 gallons of fuel and was owned by P.J. Murphy Transportation out of Haverhill, state police said.
Last night’s crash is not the first time the company has been in the public eye.
In April 2020, one of its tankers rolled over in a rotary in Revere, resulting in a large fuel spill that impacted nearby wetland areas. The company was penalized more than $60,000 by Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for that incident.
The driver of the tanker involved in Thursday’s crash was not injured and has not yet been formally identified. He was not charged or even ticketed at the scene and State Police say he is cooperating.
Former Boston Police Chief Dan Linskey tell 25 Investigates a thorough investigation will be conducted to determine if the tanker driver had enough time to react and avoid the collision.
“What was the speed of both vehicles? With black boxes today we can plug in and find out whether someone was breaking, turning turn signal. All that information will be important together. It’s a tragedy for all involved, " he said.
A source tells 25 Investigates Trooper Bucci’s cruiser was equipped with a camera.
According to federal records 25 Investigates reviewed, the company has 11 vehicles and 11 drivers.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data shows the company has been inspected nine times in the last two years. A total of 26 vehicle maintenance violations have been documented including seven related to braking issues.
Trucking safety consultant Joe Mokrisky reviewed PJ Murphy’s safety records for us.
“They did have two minor violations in the beginning of the year, January of this year. But the ones that were, you know, we’ll say red flags, out of service violations, date back to 2020. But the company did show improvement during that time,” he said.
Boston 25 News reached out to the trucking company this morning but comment was declined.
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