A truck carrying approximately 22,000 pounds of explosives was cited Saturday afternoon, April 25, after Minden police officers discovered it parked unattended next to Walmart while both drivers were inside shopping, according to information released by the Minden Police Department.
Police said the truck was loaded with Class 1.1D explosives, a category subject to strict federal transportation and parking regulations due to the high hazard involved.
Because enforcement of those regulations falls under federal law rather than municipal jurisdiction, Minden officers contacted a Department of Transportation trooper with Louisiana State Police to handle the violation.
According to police, federal regulation 49 CFR Part 397 requires vehicles transporting Class 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 explosives to be attended at all times by either the driver or a qualified representative of the motor carrier. A vehicle is considered attended only if the responsible person is on the vehicle, or within 100 feet of it and maintaining an unobstructed view.
In this case, officers found both drivers — who were operating as a required two-man team to maintain constant attendance — inside Walmart while the truck remained parked outside unattended.
When the state trooper arrived, police said the two men exited the store carrying shopping bags.
Louisiana State Police cited the drivers for leaving an explosive-laden vehicle unattended and for parking too close to the building. Regulations require such vehicles to be parked at least 100 feet away from a building and, in many circumstances, substantially farther from places where people work, gather, or assemble.
Police said all shipping documents and other required paperwork for the load were otherwise in order.
The truck was operated by a trucking company based in Alberta, Canada. Authorities said the vehicle was in transit to an undisclosed destination at the time of the stop.
No injuries or further incidents were reported.
