Page 12 - ATR 5 2019 digital

others with conspiracy and wire fraud
WELCOME, for planning to intentionally crash
a 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche into a
NEW ATA MEMBERS! Freightliner, owned by an Arkansas

trucking company, in order to win the
insurance money.
Together, We Are the Power of Association Labeaud drove Lucinda Thomas’s
Avalanche into the tractor-trailer,
We welcome the following new members. Each new member switched seats with Thomas so it
adds to the Arkansas trucking industry’s collective strength to appeared she was driving, and reported
promote, protect and serve with a unified voice. to the New Orleans Police Department
that the ‘accident’ had been the truck
driver’s fault.
CARRIER MEMBERS DANA INCORPORATED An unnamed attorney was also
Maumee, Ohio
BRENT HIGGINS TRUCKING allegedly involved though not charged
Mulberry, Ark. 419.345.6430 in the indictment. The attorney paid
479.947.2366 Offers commercial vehicle driveline, axle Labeaud $7500 on the day of the crash
Number of Trucks: 22 and wheel, and tire technologies
SARACEN CASINO RESORT before a lawsuit was even filed. The
SOUTHERN CHIPS *PRIVATE Pine Bluff, Ark. attorney also told Thomas she would
Perry, Ark. 870.619.2970 receive more money if she had a neck
501.662.4499 Casino and truck stop
Number of Trucks: 11 injury, and after following the attor-
TRUCKSUITE LLC ney’s direction to visit a doctor, Thomas
ALLIED MEMBERS Winston-Salem, N.C. was also treated for a neck injury. The
336.565.7100
CONVERSION INTERACTIVE AGENCY Offers technology-based owner/operator wire fraud charges link to the lawsuit’s
Brentwood, Tenn. support program settlement in June 2019; Thomas and
800.264.2690 two others received checks for $7500.
Provides advertising and recruitment Another wire fraud charge is the
$20,000 paid to the attorney by the
For membership information, visit arkansastrucking.com trucking company.
The conspiracy charges for plan-
ning the crash carries a possible jail
NEWS IN BRIEF, While PC games for truck driving term of five years, and the wire fraud

Continued from page 10 have been around since the 1980s, this charges for the settlement payments
is the first game for Playstation and are punishable by up to 20 years behind
Xbox consoles. bars. Additionally, they could be given
world application as well. Automaker The game puts players in a story five years of supervised release and
Tesla has already introduced a slate of that trucking industry insiders know the possibility of being fined up to
classic Atari games like Centipede that well. A new driver inherits a truck from $250,000 per count after release from
can be played through the vehicle’s their father and must build a career, prison. A court date has not yet been
infotainment center. make business relationships and haul announced.
Driving games could also be used loads. From buying truck parts to mak-
to make safer drivers. The Mercedes ing a name in the local community, the ARKANSAS TRUCKING INDUSTRY
interface can already score drivers on entrepreneurial skills are marketed as HOSTS CONVOY TO SUPPORT
their performance. “We have lots of part of the game. SPECIAL OLYMPICS
employees from the gaming industry On Sept. 21, Arkansas trucking
working on user interfaces,” Daimler’s INSURANCE FRAUD SCAMMERS companies and truck drivers joined
research chief Markus Schaefer says, INDICTED FOR FAKE TRUCK forces with law enforcement to host a
“The key task is to bring about a change CRASH convoy raising funds and awareness for
in consumer behavior.” Five people have been accused of the Special Olympics Arkansas.
And for traditional gamers who staging a 2017 truck crash in New The Truck Convoy® is a unique
want a regular controller instead of a Orleans in an elaborate insurance fraud one-day celebration of the trucking
real car, a new story-driven game is the scheme. industry and its support of Special
first truck driving simulation game, The federal indictment charges Olympics. Local law enforcement makes
Truck Driver, for a console. Louisianan Damian Labeaud and four special dispensation and escorts a con-

12 Issue 5 2019 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT