Should truckers be allowed to carry firearms in their commercial vehicles from state to state? The mother of a trucker slain in Detroit believes so.
In June 2014 the body of Mike Boeglin, a 30-year-old resident of Ferdinand Indiana, was found in the burned out shell of his truck. Boeglin, who was preparing to become a father for the first time, had been shot several times before his commercial vehicle was set on fire. Boeglin was in Detroit delivering aluminum coils to a ThyssenKrupp steel plant. He called his wife shortly before midnight and thereafter parked at an abandoned sports complex not far from his destination.
Detroit Police believe the attack took place during the early morning hours of June 26. Law enforcement officials suspect someone may have been attempting to rob Boeglin when things turned ugly. However, they’re not sure of this and, at this time, say they have no solid leads in the case.
That has left Boeglin’s mother, Darlene, understandably angry and frustrated. She believes truckers should be able to defend themselves, which is why she supports the idea behind “Mike’s Law”, new legislation that would allow truckers to carry firearms in their vehicles across state lines. The legislation has already garnered the support of the Small Business in Transportation Coalition, which is pressing the federal government to pass the law.
At the moment, truckers can carry firearms in some states so long as they have a conceal and carry permit. However, these permits don’t apply to every state.
Mike’s mother believes the legislation, if passed into law, could save lives. However, she’s not sure it would have been enough to prevent her own son’s death in Detroit.
“It’s only going to help the people in the right situation at the right time,” Boeglin said. “I think probably it would be a good thing but, in Mike’s situation, even if he would have carried a gun, I’m not going to say it would have saved his life.”
“It depends on the situation,” Boeglin added.
This is not the first time the Small Business in Transportation Coalition has backed legislation designed to protect truckers. Five years ago it offered support to “Jason’s Law”, named for trucker Jason Rivenberg who was robbed and murdered after deciding to rest in an abandoned gas station parking lot. In the end, Jason’s Law, which passed in late 2012, provided $6 million in federal funding to improving roadside parking lots and safe rest areas for truckers.