A truck driver hauling an improperly permitted oversize load was found not guilty in the accidental death of a motorcyclist who was struck by the large equipment. 

The fatal accident happened in June of 2023 on Route 190 near Princeton, Massachusetts. 

According to Boston 25, 25-year-old Jacob Brisbois was stopped in the breakdown lane on Route 190 at about 1:30 a.m. when a semi truck hauling a large crane struck him as it passed by. Brisbois was then dragged by the crane, resulting in his death. 

The semi truck, driven by Jarod Hardaker, was hauling a crane to a construction site in Cranston, Rhode Island. The semi truck weighed approximately 146,100 pounds at the time of the accident and measured about 15 feet wide. Hardaker was not accompanied by any pilot cars or police escorts, and was improperly permitted at the time of the crash. 

“It is a regular practice for companies to move oversize loads” in the late night hours because inspectors “typically only work day shift and sometimes evening shifts, but rarely in the morning hours,” a member of the Massachusetts State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section wrote in a report regarding the incident. In that same report, it was determined that Hardaker’s employer, Assabet’s Heavy Hauling has submitted 4 oversize load applications since 2018, but “never completed the final steps to officially submit the applications, so none were issued or denied.”

Hardaker’s attorney, Maura Tansley, argued that the truck driver was not personally responsible for obtaining any necessary permits for the large load. The Massachusetts Attorney’s General Office has since stated that it will not pursue an investigation into Assabet Heavy Hauling.  

Hardaker was found not guilty of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation earlier this week. He declined to comment on the verdict, but his attorney says that he is “both relieved and pleased that the jury agreed that his driving was not criminally negligent. He continues to recognize and appreciate the incredible loss felt by Mr. Brisbois’ family and friends.”