The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office is trying to find out who attacked and robbed a semi-truck driver after he pulled over to rest near a vacant lot by County Road 204 and U.S. 1 South.
Deputies said the robber entered the truck cabin with a gun and a crowbar a little after 10 p.m. They hit the semi-truck driver in the head with the gun multiple times and left with money and the driver’s phone.
The phone was eventually found outside of the truck, and the driver called for help.
David Porter, another driver in the trucking industry, said in the past, he’s pulled over into vacant lots, rest areas, or on the side of the road to take a break.
“It’s scary to think about,” Porter said about the man getting robbed.
Porter said this is not the first time he’s heard of a semi-truck driver being attacked like this, and stories like these have led him to operate differently.
“It does tend to make you think more when you go into a situation. ‘Hey what do I need to look for’ or ‘Hey, this could be a trap,’” Porter said.
Porter said trucking can be a dangerous industry especially when drivers have to rest.
“The keys for semis are very neutral,” Porter said. “If I put 10 Freightliners in a lot, and I take the key from my truck, nine out of 10 I’m going to be able to unlock eight of the trucks with my key.”
News4JAX Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney said the person in the video might have done something like this before.
“It certainly makes you believe that with the violence that’s demonstrated in this case, this wouldn’t be the first time that you have this occur. So it certainly seems like something they’ve done before,” Hackney said.
He also gave some tips for drivers to stay safe when they have to rest.
“Try to avoid isolated areas. If you can help it, there’s safety in numbers and the latest trend is to have these dash cams and some of the higher-end ones film inside the vehicle and that goes for trucks and passenger cars as well. It’s really a good idea,” Hackney said.
He added that it’s important that anyone with information contact the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office at 904-824-8304 so that the robber doesn’t strike again.
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Source: news4jax
