A Preventable Tragedy that Callas for Accountability

“The whole family died needlessly.”
— John Nohinek, Witherite Law Group attorney representing a victim’s family

Orginally covered by WFAA: HERE

After a devastating wreck in Terrell Texas, the lives offive people, including four members of the same family took place. The truckresponsible was hauling U.S. mail. The driver admitted to falling asleep. Thecompany he worked for, Hope Trans LLC, had a documented pattern of dangerousshortcuts, falsified records, and ignored safety rules.

At Witherite Law Group, we see the aftermath of thesetragedies. This wreck sticks out for how many people and systems failed. Fromthe trucking company to the broker, to the agencies responsible for oversight.

A Postal Load, aSleep-Deprived Driver, and a Faked Registration

On June 28, 2024, a truck left Atlanta with a load of U.S.mail. Nearly 800 miles later, that same truck veered across a Texas highwaymedian and struck two cars—killing everyone inside one of them. The driver,Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, told police he fell asleep at the wheel. Hewas the only driver in the cab, despite U.S. Postal Service policy requiringteam drivers for hauls over 500 miles.

Even more shocking:

• The truck’s cab card (registration) was falsified, leading to multiple arrest warrants.
• Hope Trans LLC had a history of safety violations, including repeated logbook falsification and backdating shipping documents to bypass fatigue rules.
• Federal records showed Hope Trans’ listed business address was a co-working space, with no actual operations on-site—violating federal law requiring a     physical place of business for safety records.

Despite all of this, the company was still allowed to haulmail under a subcontract through Covenant Transport Solutions, a broker tied toover $40 million in USPS contracts.

“I Need Coffee”:Code Words for Illegal Drive Time

Former Hope Trans drivers came forward to reveal a cultureof deception:

• Dispatchers encouraged them to use code words—like “coffee”—to request more hours of illegal drive time.
• Paperwork was routinely backdated to cover up violations of federal Hours-of-Service rules.
• They were warned to hide original documents that could expose fraud during inspections.

One driver said he was sent on a solo haul from Atlanta toPhoenix on just three hours of sleep which is violation of federal law. When heraised concerns with a Covenant official, he says it was brushed off.

Another driver described trucks with rusty, noncompliantequipment and expired stickers, adding:

“If I’d kept driving for this company, I was gonna end upjust like that driver did.”

A System Designed to Protect—That Failed

The truck was authorized. The load was legal. The crash waspreventable.

So how did this happen?

A 2024 audit by the U.S. Postal Service Office of InspectorGeneral revealed the USPS had no way to verify who was hauling its mail and didnot track fatal crashes involving contractors. From 2018 to 2022 alone,USPS-contracted drivers were involved in at least 373 crashes that killed 89people. The audit even flagged a lack of enforcement on critical policies—likerequiring team drivers for long-distance routes.

This is not just a company’s failure. It is a system-widebreakdown in accountability.

At Witherite Law Group, We Demand Better

We represent victims of trucking negligence every day—and weknow what justice requires:

• Independent investigations into companies that falsify records, hire fatigued drivers, and use deceptive practices
• Legal action against brokers and contractors who ignore red flags for the sake of profit
• Policy change that demands real oversight, particularly when federal entities like the USPS are involved

No family should be wiped out because a broker prioritizedspeed over safety. No driver should be manipulated into risking lives withfalsified logs. And no one should die needlessly, especially not on a stretchof highway where safety systems are supposed to work.

In a Truck Wreck? Contact us for a free consultation.

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