Lattimore Materials Has A History Of Safety Violations
Investigators have found that a company that owns a cement truck that killed two people by spilling wet concrete on them on Friday has a history of safety violations.
KRPC Channel 2 in Houston reported that their investigative reporters found that Lattimore Materials Corporation, an international company that operates a truck company in Houston, is the registered owner of the cement truck which killed both 19-year-old Selvin Palacios and gospel singer LaTonya Earl.
According to documents released by the U.S. Department of Transportation and made available through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Lattimore’s Houston-based trucks have been cited for 226 separate safety violations, including improperly securing loads. The company has been involved in a total of nine previous crashes that have resulted in four injuries. With the latest crash on Friday, February 14th, the company is now likely responsible for two fatalities.
KRPC 2 reporters also found that the company had at least two complaints against it registered with the Better Business Bureau. One complaint, filed in June of 2019, was from a motorist who claimed that a concrete truck had allegedly let loose a load of rock that caused damage to their new car. Another report from March of 2019 also claimed damage to a vehicle after a Lattimore truck spilled rock on the freeway, causing several vehicles to swerve to avoid being damaged by the gravel coming from a cement truck.
The company released a statement following the fatal crash which expressed condolences to the families of the two people whose lives were lost and its intention to fully cooperate with local authorities during the investigations.