2 Investigators: Dangerous Driving By Jimmy John's "Freaky Fast" Delivery Drivers
(CBS) -- Freaky fast -- the Jimmy John's promise of quick sandwich service, may be leading to danger on the road. CBS 2's Dave Savini hit the road and followed drivers, catching speeding and other infractions.
The 2-Investigators watched drivers quickly moving from lane to lane; driving on the shoulder; going twice the speed limit; and driving the wrong way down a road. Jimmy John's drivers also are getting in accidents, while lawsuits mount around the country.
Alexandria Contini says she was hit by a Jimmy John's driver in Aurora.
"They are taking unnecessary risks, not only what happened to me, it's prevalent," said Contini who was a pedestrian when struck and suffered broken bones and needed surgery.
"It's not just one time that they drive like this, it's a lot of times," said Contini who says the company needs to make sure its workers are driving safely.
The driver who hit her in 2012 was working for a restaurant on Orchard Road in Aurora. The 2 Investigators watched other Jimmy John's drivers at that location, driving erratically; holding up their phones while driving; making u-turns in the middle of intersections; speeding; and disregarding stop signs, including one right in the restaurant parking lot.
One driver questioned about repeatedly going through stop signs said, "Well we stop, sort of, kind of."
He said, "Everybody does that," though he says it is not encouraged.
At a Willowbrook Jimmy John's, Dale Mikols said a driver screeched out of the parking lot, struck his car and injured his back.
"It's just outright dangerous," said Mikols who expressed concern more people could get injured by Jimmy John's drivers. "Absolutely, it's only a matter of time."
Mikols hired attorney Kevin O'Reilly and filed a lawsuit against the restaurant.
"It's irresponsible to have a campaign that promotes basically breaking the law to deliver a sandwich," said O'Reilly.
At the Willowbrook location, the 2 Investigators found drivers repeatedly blowing stop signs in plain view of restaurant windows and repeatedly driving down a road that says: Do Not Enter. When confronted, one driver denied it, then a manager told him to stop answering questions.
Jimmy John's spokesman says they take safety seriously and all drivers are required to follow the law.
Regarding Alexandria Contini, the franchisee says settlement talks prevent him from commenting on her case. But also says he has strict policies - including checking each workers driving record every six months. He says "Freaky Fast" only refers to making sandwiches fast, not how deliveries are handled.
