Fine cut for trucker with overweight rig on Canonsburg street
The Florida truck driver caught Saturday driving his overweight rig on a Canonsburg street that has a posted 10-ton weight limit had his fine cut in half but will not be getting out of Washington County jail until he posts an $850 collateral representing 10 percent of the fine.
Francisco V. Amarales-Amarales, 58, of Hialeah, appeared Wednesday before District Judge David Mark after he was cited Saturday for violating weight limits. He was placed in jail Saturday on a $10,000 collateral toward the original fine of $17,386.50. The judge also put a temporary order of inoperability on the rig so it could not be released until the fine was paid.
Officer Scott Bashioum, a certified motor carrier enforcement officer who filed the charges, said the trucker’s attorney asked if the fine could be reduced to make it a little easier for his client. The fine was reduced to $8,500.
“We worked it out,” Bashioum said.
Bashioum said he was on patrol Saturday when he spotted the rig making a left turn from Strabane Avenue onto West Pike Street, nearly hitting a vehicle stopped at the traffic light. Amarales-Amarales started to turn right onto Bluff Street, but Bashioum activated his emergency lights and siren to stop him.
Bashioum said it appears the trucker was using a GPS device used by most drivers, as opposed to a GPS unit designed for drivers of commercial vehicles.
The Florida truck driver apparently exited Interstate 79 at Houston and turned onto Boone Avenue in North Strabane Township before going onto Strabane, which has a 10-ton posted limit.
The load was released, but the truck and trailer will not be until the $8,500 fine is paid in full, Bashioum said. It had not been paid as of late Wednesday afternoon. Amarales-Amarales also remained in jail as of 4 p.m. Wednesday.