The loss of life of a 19-year-old school scholar on a Texas freeway is elevating questions concerning the fleet of drivers Amazon makes use of to maneuver packages between its services. Faculty freshman Iliana Velez’s life was reduce brief in a crash with a contractor who was driving to choose up an Amazon load.

A College of Texas freshman, Velez was working nights sorting packages half time at an Amazon achievement middle.

Within the early morning hours of Jan. 3, 2022, Velez was on a break when she was compelled off the highway by a field truck pushed by Jordan Sannicola, a contractor on his option to decide up an Amazon cargo. Velez’s automobile rolled a number of occasions. She died on the scene. 

Her mom, Trula Velez, acquired the information from police that very same night.

“The officer knocked on my door and he mentioned that she was concerned in an accident, and she or he did not make it,” she mentioned. “I used to be such in a state of shock.”

When Sannicola was arrested 4 weeks later, investigators discovered he had a historical past of visitors violations, a suspended driver’s license and excellent felony warrants, together with one depend of evading arrest with a automobile. He instructed police he was utilizing a hand-held cell machine when he collided with Iliana Velez’s automobile.

“Somebody with a number of warrants mustn’t have been employed,” Trula Velez mentioned.

A lawsuit filed by Trula Velez alleges Amazon had beforehand rejected Sannicola’s software to ship packages for the corporate’s “flex” dwelling supply service after he failed a background verify. Nonetheless, he was capable of drive for an Amazon-contracted firm. Regardless of his felony historical past and driving report, Take Flight with B, a North Carolina motor provider firm, employed Sannicola to maneuver Amazon freight.

Missed warning indicators?

The Velez household legal professional, Alex Hilliard, claims that due to the background verify, Amazon was “totally conscious” of Sannicola’s poor driving report and felony background when he began driving for Take Flight, which transported items between Amazon services on a phase of the supply community generally known as the “center mile.”

The lawsuit additionally alleges monitoring expertise supplied by the Relay telephone software Amazon makes use of to watch driver location and efficiency had knowledgeable the corporate of Sannicola’s unsafe driving habits, nevertheless it didn’t act.

“Mr. Sannicola had 70 completely different rushing violations [while working for Take Flight] that Amazon had been notified of,” mentioned Hilliard. “They did nothing about that.”

A CBS Information evaluation of federal security knowledge revealed Amazon contractors primarily within the firm’s “middle-mile” supply community had month-to-month violation charges — reminiscent of rushing and texting whereas driving — that have been normally double these of carriers who did not transport for Amazon. The evaluation examined six years of month-to-month Federal Motor Provider Security Administration (FMCSA) unsafe driving charges and located the typical charges of carriers who shipped for Amazon have been at the least 89% increased in each month.

“I used to be surprised,” mentioned Jason Miller, a professor at Michigan State College who’s an professional in provide chain administration. “I’ve printed many articles utilizing these knowledge. You don’t see results like this usually, the place you may have a set of carriers that’s virtually twice as unsafe as a special set of carriers.”

CBS Information used roadside inspection experiences in federal knowledge to establish Amazon contractors. The experiences, that are produced by legislation enforcement, point out who a provider mentioned they have been delivery for on the time of inspection. The evaluation included carriers who shipped at the least as soon as for Amazon within the two years main as much as every month examined.

Miller mentioned the massive patchwork of contractors Amazon makes use of for “middle-mile” transport poses challenges to making sure a uniform tradition of security.

“The extra you’re primarily having your freight hauled by a whole lot, if not hundreds of small younger corporations, that makes it rather more tough to make sure these corporations are working safely versus a extra – what we name strategic procurement mannequin, the place you could have a couple of very giant carriers that you simply work with that deal with lots of freight,” mentioned Miller.

Prior to now two years, at the least 57 folks have died in additional than 4 dozen crashes involving federally regulated carriers delivery for Amazon, in accordance with FMCSA knowledge, although the info doesn’t point out who was at fault in these incidents. The FMCSA produces a crash involvement rating for carriers, however it’s not public.

Amazon’s response

“Any fatality is heartbreaking,” mentioned Tim Goodman, Amazon’s world authorized director for highway security. “Any households which were affected by this all have our condolences and our hearts exit to them.”

Whereas Amazon mandates background checks for contracted drivers who ship on to clients’ houses, Goodman mentioned the corporate seems to be to the FMCSA to supervise “middle-mile” contractors who transfer freight between services in bigger automobiles.

A spokeswoman for FMCSA confirmed it requires contractors who dispatch industrial motor automobiles with a gross automobile weight ranking of greater than 10,000 kilos to conduct background checks into drivers’ security efficiency historical past as a situation of employment.

Amazon mentioned when the corporate learns a contracted provider has violated FMCSA pointers, the provider can face penalties, together with everlasting suspension.

“We’ve taken disciplinary motion towards round 19,000 motor carriers for failing to fulfill FMCSA security necessities,” Goodman mentioned.

Amongst these carriers is Take Flight with B, the contractor that employed Jordan Sannicola. Amazon confirmed it suspended Take Flight with B completely from its contracted fleet.  The motor provider has since gone out of enterprise.

Goodman defended Amazon’s persevering with reliance on third-party trucking contractors to maneuver its freight and ship packages.

“In america, transportation with motor carriers is pushed by unbiased companies, small companies,” mentioned Goodman. “It has been that means since at the least the Carter administration.”

“We’re distinctive at Amazon by way of our scale,” Goodman mentioned. “But it surely’s a enterprise mannequin that has labored, and labored nicely, and we’re dedicated to having or not it’s a catalyst to have the ability to enhance security for the roads for all of us.”

Amazon disputes CBS Information’ knowledge findings. In a press release despatched after the interview, a spokesperson mentioned: “We have labored intently with CBS all through this story, and are upset that they proceed to make use of knowledge based mostly on a flawed methodology. We take security extremely critically and the reality is that general crash charges throughout third get together carriers that we work with have improved. Our requirements are stricter than FMCSA necessities, and we’ll proceed working to make sure our companions are the most secure carriers on the highway.”

Amongst different complaints, the corporate took concern with how CBS Information recognized Amazon contractors—it mentioned inspection experiences typically record the flawed shipper—and the way CBS Information measured a provider’s security.

Amazon measures security utilizing the FMCSA’s “unsafe driving rating,” which is a quantity that applies completely different requirements relying on the scale of the provider. This rating will not be made public by the federal government, however the underlying knowledge is. Moderately than rating the carriers by measurement, CBS Information appeared immediately on the underlying charges of unsafe driving violations like texting and rushing.

CBS Information consulted with a number of main provide chain researchers, who all use FMCSA measures in peer-reviewed research. Alex Scott, a College of Tennessee professor and professional in provide chain administration, mentioned he doesn’t use the FMCSA’s scores partly as a result of they make smaller carriers seem safer than they’re.

“I do not assume that makes any sense,” Scott mentioned. “In the event that they’re much less protected, then they’re much less protected.”

What the court docket system says

On Oct. 11, a decide sentenced Jordan Sannicola to a 40-year jail time period for the cost of “failing to cease and render assist — accident involving loss of life” within the crash that killed Iliana Velez.

“One mistake value somebody’s life, and that was my daughter’s, and her life was simply getting began,” Trula Valez mentioned.

A court docket date for her lawsuit towards Amazon is ready for early 2025.