Morgan & Morgan files suit over fatal I-81 truck crash

[Pottsville, PA] – Morgan & Morgan, America’s largest personal injury firm, announced today the filing of a lawsuit on behalf of the Pahira family against Augustin Freight Services LLC (AFS), a commercial motor carrier, and SNK Logistics LLC, a freight broker. The suit alleges that the defendants' negligence, reckless disregard for federal safety regulations and failure to vet and supervise drivers led directly to the tragic death of Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Pahira Jr.

On July 1, 2026, State Trooper Pahira Jr. was conducting a routine commercial vehicle inspection on I-81 in Schuylkill County, with his emergency lights activated and his vehicle fully clear of the roadway. A tractor trailer operated by AFS’s driver and hauling a load brokered by SNK Logistics allegedly drifted out of its lane, striking Trooper Pahira's vehicle. The tractor trailer then slammed into the commercial vehicle being inspected, pinning Trooper Pahira beneath the burning cab. Despite the heroic efforts of bystanders who pulled him from the flames, Trooper Pahira succumbed to his injuries.

“A family and community have lost a beloved son, uncle, and friend in Michael Pahira Jr., a valued public servant who dedicated his career to keeping roads safe for our families,” said Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan and attorney Clancy Boylan. “This case highlights systemic safety failures that plague the trucking industry. Federal regulations require carriers to certify compliance with driver qualification standards, but those certifications are meaningless unless the companies enforce them. Critically, SNK Logistics chose to hire AFS despite allegedly having knowledge of, or reasonable access to, AFS's safety issues through publicly available information. When companies prioritize profits over people, those decisions can lead to fatal consequences.”

The attached complaint outlines the alleged systemic failures in the trucking industry that have made American highways increasingly dangerous. In the two years leading up to the crash, AFS, a carrier with only four drivers, has accumulated a vehicle out-of-service rate of 40%, nearly double the national average, along with numerous unsafe driving violations and maintenance violations in the year leading up to the crash. The carrier’s record is publicly available through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's online Safety Measurement System, yet SNK Logistics allegedly chose to hire AFS anyway. 

The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.