View Larger Map

Last week an employee of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) was hit by a dump truck at First and M streets SE near the Navy Yard Metro stop. Original reports said that the woman was in the crosswalk at the time of the crash and that charges were pending against the driver.

According to police spokesman Lt. Nicholas Breul, the driver in fact was not cited for the incident. There is a possibility that he could be faulted down the road, "but at this time he has not been," Breul says.

The trucking company involved in the crash was L. Neal Trucking, of Charlotte Hall, Md., in St. Mary's County. DOT records show that L. Neal Trucking consists of just one truck and one driver, identified as Lamont Neal. According to Maryland court records, a Lamont Neal of Waldorf, Md., was ticketed during a routine stop in St. Mary's County earlier this year for "operating a motor vehicle with inadequate tires." Neal pled guilty and paid a fine of $130.

According to DOT records, L. Neal Trucking has been inspected ten times in the last two years. The truck was taken out of service just once in that time, giving the company a better grade than the national average.

In the wake of the crash, the District Department of Transportation has decided to implement a no-turn-on-red rule at First and M streets SE between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.