An award-winning investigative reporter, Scott has worked in newsrooms across the country, uncovering corruption, holding the powerful accountable, and standing up for the little guy.
The scene in the picture brought back bad memories for Anthony Ripepi . The flashing lights and crumpled metal lying across the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 near the Cleveland- Euclid border on Monday afternoon recalled a much deadlier day for Ripepi.
'It's a situation that happens way too often, way too often,' said Ripepi. His brother, Danny, was driving to work along Interstate 480 in September 2020, when investigators said a dump truck with its bed raised hit an overhead highway sign and sent it crashing into Danny Ripepi's truck, killing him.
RELATED: 1 dead after dump truck with its bed up knocks highway sign onto pickup on I-480 WB near State Road'My brother was a kindhearted and wonderful person who had a smile for everybody and is no longer here because of that,' said Ripepi. Like in his brother's case, ODOT said Monday's crash was caused by a dump truck driving with its bed raised, hitting an overhead sign and ripping it down onto the highway.
This time, though, there have not been any reports of injuries. Euclid Police are investigating how Monday's crash happened. But Ripepi believes most cases like it are preventable. Following his brother's death, Ripepi learned of a device that limits how fast a truck can drive with its bed raised.
'If the bed's up, the truck will not do more than 10 to 15 miles an hour,' said Ripepi. 'At 15 miles an hour, it's not going to knock that sign down. 'Ripepi believes the devices should be required on all new trucks, but said lawmakers have been slow to push for the change. He believes the resistance is rooted in money.
'The part's 20 bucks,' said Ripepi. 'Your life's not worth $20? Somebody's life's not worth $20? Some innocent individual who's just minding their own business, it's not worth $20?
'The truck driver in his brother's case was convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide and sentenced to three years of probation. But Ripepi believes that until lawmakers act, more families will be at risk of losing loved ones in crashes like the one that devastated his. There's no selecting,' said Ripepi.
'It can be anybody, anywhere on the highway. Anywhere near these things. It could be someone just walking down the street, and a power line comes down when a truck hits it. '
Danny Ripepi Euclid Interstate 90 Bed Change Crash Dump Truck Law Limit Speed
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