There are several requirements for people who want to work in truck driving, and having a CDL is one of them. However, one man is now facing charges after a fatal semi-truck crash, and it has just been uncovered that he lacked this all-important portion of licensure. This and other recent trucking news stories are causing the industry quite a stir. 

Truck driving requires special certification, and this driver pretended to have it 

According to WDBJ 7, Michael Vernon was driving a commercial truck in April 2024 in Eden, North Carolina. Sadly, he failed to stop at an intersection that required it. This is when he hit six utility linemen, four of whom passed away. Still, the others were severely injured from the wreck and required intense medical attention. 

Following the truck driving accident, the authorities charged Michael. He has four counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. The driver also has one count of failing to stop at a stop sign. Still, that’s not all, as they found that the man did not have a CDL at the time of the crash. He had never held a license while in his positions with the City of Eden. Notably, the city employed him from August 2017 to May 2, 2025, when they fired him. Because of this, they are charging him with one count of operating a commercial motor vehicle without a valid commercial driver’s license.

Michael will soon have his sentencing following the truck driving accident, but it’s unclear when this will happen. The city confirmed that he held two positions while working there. The first was Equipment Operator I, and they promoted him to  Equipment Operator II at some point. This is a developing story. 

For more trucking news, check out this recent article from Sarah Kennedy about a recent White House rule related to English proficiency for drivers.