Driver in fatal I-80 truck crash has previous convictions

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The I-Team learned new details Friday night on the truck driver charged in that deadly I-80 accident on Tuesday morning. Two FedEx drivers were killed when they were hit from behind.

Douglass Norfleet, 48, is the only survivor of the terrible accident. Norfleet was also hurt in the crash. He's facing speed and erratic driving charges after veering into the FedEx trucks. Now the I-Team has learned that he was previously convicted of very similar charges.

The Chicago trucker was driving for West Side Transport at the time, a company headquartered in Iowa-also with a truck yard in the south suburbs.

Just before sunrise on Tuesday, state police investigators say Norfleet plowed his semi into the two FedEx trucks that had pulled over to the side of the interstate.

One FedEx vehicle, a double trailer, apparently had a mechanical problem and the second truck had arrived to help. Both of those drivers were killed. Norfleet suffered serious injuries according to police.

Nortfleet was charged with improper lane usage and failure to reduce speed in the I-80 crash.

The I-Team late Friday obtained Norfleet's official driving record that reveals a 2013 conviction for speeding in DuPage County and a 2015 conviction for erratic lane changes in Michigan.

All three trucks burst into flames on impact. The fireball killed both FedEx drivers. The only survivor is now also the only person cited in the crash. Sole survivor Douglass Norfleet tonight is in the burn unit at Loyola Medical Center in Maywood. I-80 was closed down for more than ten hours when this happened--first for emergency responders and to put out the fires-then, so state police teams could reconstruct the accident.