The dump truck that slammed into an accident scene on I-280 causing a chain-reaction wreck involving police and fire vehicles that sent dozens to the hospital — including two troopers and several first responders — was cited for 12 safety violations in two separate inspections just weeks before the crash, according to federal records.

During each of the inspections in June, violations was deemed serious enough to force the Patrick’s Trucking dump truck temporarily out of service, according to a public safety database maintained by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

The dump truck is the lone vehicle owned by Newark-based Patrick’s Trucking. State Police identified the driver as Edgar Penafiel, 54, of Newark.

Penafiel has not been issued any summonses in the massive wreck, though State Police have said he failed to stop the dump truck before blasting through the scene of the earlier collision and striking the troopers, first responders and multiple people standing along the busy stretch of highway in West Orange on Tuesday morning. The crash involved at least six vehicles, including State Police SUVs, an ambulance and a West Orange fire truck.

A woman who answered the phone listed for Penafiel’s company on Thursday said he was not available to speak. He was hospitalized immediately after the crash and was still recovering from his injuries while staying with family, she said, noting that Penafiel remained on scene and passed all examinations by police. She called the crash a terrible accident.

Penafiel, who also runs a landscaping and construction company under the Patrick’s name, started the trucking aspect of his business in January 2017. According to state incorporation records, Patrick’s Trucking offers sand and gravel hauling services.

State Police have said emergency crews helping people from the first crash and had the right lane blocked when dump truck smashed into the scene, hitting a car, work van and an occupied State Police vehicle before careening into an ambulance. The chain-reaction pushed the ambulance into a fire truck.

Police have not said whether any maintenance or mechanical issues on the dump truck played a role in the crash.

Yesterday was a difficult day. The reality is we very narrowly missed planning numerous first responder funerals. Our 3 injured Troopers are doing well considering how horrific the crash was. Please pray with us for full recoveries for all involved. 🙏🏻#SlowDown #MoveOver #NJSP pic.twitter.com/WziKiyCfMH — State Troopers Fraternal Association of NJ (STFA) (@STFA_NJ) July 31, 2019

The truck has been subject to roadside inspections three times, including the two instances just weeks apart in June, according to the FMCSA database.

In the most recent inspection on June 26, six violations were found, including an exceeding weight rating of a tire, which temporarily forced the Kenworth dump truck out of service. The dump truck also had six violations during a June 17 inspection along the New Jersey Turnpike. They included two tire violations, which also forced the vehicle temporarily out of service, the records state.

A FMCSA official said those kinds of violations are often fixed on the spot by shifting the weight in the truck or adding air to the tire. Inspections are done at random by State Police specifically assigned to commercial vehicle inspections. The other lesser violations in those two inspections included missing mud flaps around the tires and inoperable windshield wipers among other maintenance issues.

Patrick’s Trucking was also inspected in December 2017 and 11 violations were found, including an audible tire leak and tire groove violations, forcing the truck out of service. The lone driver for Patrick’s Trucking, whose name is not listed in the database, has not failed any inspection, and has no unsafe driving violations, the database states.

Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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