WH: Anthony Foxx in line for transportation post

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Monday will nominate Charlotte, N.C., Mayor Anthony Foxx as his new transportation secretary.

That's according to a White House official.

If confirmed by the Senate, Foxx would replace outgoing Secretary Ray LaHood.

Foxx is Obama's first black nominee among the new Cabinet members appointed for the second term. The president faced criticism early in his second term for a lack of diversity among his nominees.

The official insisted on anonymity to avoid public discussion of the pick before the official announcement.

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Obama to nominate Anthony Foxx as transportation secretary

By Mark Felsenthal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama plans to nominate on Monday Charlotte, North Carolina, Mayor Anthony Foxx to be his next transportation secretary, a White House official said on Sunday.

If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Foxx would replace Ray LaHood, who has served as transportation secretary since January 2009.

Foxx is African-American and would add to the Obama Cabinet's racial diversity, something the president's supporters have been urging him to do.

As Charlotte mayor, Foxx is credited with improving the city's transportation systems.

"Foxx's career as a public official, in a rapidly changing urban environment, has been marked by an ability to integrate local, state and federal resources to meet important transportation challenges," the White House official said.

North Carolina has been an important swing state in presidential elections. It voted for Republican Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election, but backed Obama in 2008. Charlotte hosted the Democratic National Convention in 2012.

(Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Stacey Joyce and Mohammad Zargham)

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U.S. Department of Transportation Declares N.C. Truck Driver in Fatal Hit-and-Run Crash to be an Imminent Hazard to Public Safety

WASHINGTON, April 26, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has declared North Carolina-licensed truck driver Johnny Allen Spell to be an imminent hazard to public safety and has ordered him not to operate any commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce.

On April 23, 2013, Spell, a commercial driver's license (CDL) holder employed by Ricky Lucas Trucking of Roseboro, N.C., was operating a tractor-trailer in Sampson County, N.C., when he failed to stop for a school bus.  The bus had engaged its warning lights and was unloading passengers.  Spell's vehicle struck and killed a child as she was crossing U.S. Highway 421. 

"Safety is our highest priority," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Unsafe truck drivers who endanger children and other members of the public have no business on our nation's roads."

Spell was arrested by North Carolina law enforcement personnel for his role in the hit-and-run crash.  He faces numerous state charges, including involuntary manslaughter, felony hit and run, improper passing of a stopped school bus with warning devices activated, reckless driving, and driving while using or in the possession of drugs.

FMCSA's imminent hazard out-of-service order for Spell is based upon his disregard of federal safety regulations and interstate operations.

The investigation remains open. 

"FMCSA will continue to assist state and local law enforcement officials, who are leading the investigation, in every way possible," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro.  "We demand that commercial drivers operate their vehicles with a high regard for public safety."

SOURCE Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

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