Mom awarded $1B after Creekside grad son’s 2017 death applauds Trump’s tightened truck driver rules

A St. John’s mom who won a $1 billion verdict after her teenage son — Creekside grad Connor Dzion — was killed by a distracted truck driver, is applauding President Donald Trump’s new executive order tightening English language rules for commercial drivers.

Mellissa Dzion called the action “one huge step in the right direction” in an interview with The Citizen.

Then an 18-year-old University of North Florida freshman, Dzion was killed in 2017 on I-95 by a truck driver who wasn’t able to read traffic signs warning of an accident ahead.

A Change.org petition launched on March 30 urged federal regulators to require all commercial drivers to demonstrate basic English proficiency after Connor’s death, including the ability to read road signs and understand emergency instructions.

Although unrelated to Connor’s case, President Trump signed an executive order last week to strengthen English requirements for commercial drivers.

The measure will require the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to issue new, strengthened guidance on the “English Language Proficiency Testing and Enforcement Policy,” a regulation that already requires all commercial drivers to be able to “speak and read the English language sufficiently…”

But the policy was loosened in 2016, allowing drivers to remain on the road without sufficient English skills. Federal officials cited concerns over discrimination and inconsistent enforcement.

In a statement on the White House’s website, President Trump called the move “common sense.”

“[Drivers] should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station officers,” the statement reads. “Drivers need to provide feedback to their employers and customers and receive related directions in English.”

This executive order follows a March 1 directive designating English as the official language of the United States.

Under the new directive, the FMCSA has 60 days to rescind the previous policy and implement new procedures for inspecting and enforcing English proficiency.

This includes reinstating out-of-service orders for drivers who don’t meet the new requirements and reviewing commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued to non-U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

“My Administration will enforce the law to protect the safety of American truckers, drivers, passengers and others,” Trump’s statement reads. “Anyone behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle must be properly qualified and proficient in our national language.”

At a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed to “communication problems” between truckers and law enforcement as a public safety risk, further justifying the need for the new order.

Though the executive order precedes Melissa Dzion’s efforts to propose “Connor’s Law” — a bill named in honor of her son — she is determined to push forward with her cause.

“I’m using this as a step in the right direction,” Melissa Dzion said. “I will not stop here. I’m not done, and I probably never will be done fighting.”