Slew of 911 calls lead to Amazon trucker driving while intoxicated, NC troopers say

Multiple 911 calls from drivers on Interstate 40 led to the arrest of an Amazon trucker accused of driving recklessly while intoxicated, according to investigators in eastern North Carolina.

The traffic stop happened around 9 p.m. Sunday in the Magnolia area of Duplin County, and involved an 18-wheeler hauling Amazon products between warehouses, the N.C. Highway Patrol told The Charlotte Observer.

The driver has been identified as 58-year-old Joseph Walker of Johnston County, officials said.

“We received numerous calls on him from people who said he was ‘all over the road’,” NC Highway Patrol officials said. “We got so many calls that a trooper was (waiting) on the truck and also observed him all over the road.”

Tests revealed the driver’s blood alcohol level was 0.16, which is twice the legal limit, officials said. It’s four times the legal limit for drivers operating commercial vehicles, troopers said.

Walker was arrested and charged with driving while impaired, and commercial driving while impaired, the State Highway Patrol said.

Magnolia is about an 80-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.

This story was originally published April 7, 2026 at 12:22 PM with the headline "Slew of 911 calls lead to Amazon trucker driving while intoxicated, NC troopers say."