Florida Truck Driver Charged at GWB With Toll Evasion

A Florida truck driver was charged Wednesday in connection with allegedly trying to evade tolls at the George Washington Bridge, Port Authority officials said.

Port Authority police officer Christopher Terranova was stationed at the main toll plaza of the bridge’s upper level at 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, when he noticed a Peterbuilt truck with a license plate that had allegedly been altered, officials said.

The truck’s actual Florida plate was ‘657 1Cl’ but had been changed to ‘657 1CT.’ In other words, the ‘I’ had been changed to a ‘T,’ said Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman.

“When the truck driver was pulled over, he told our officers that he just drove the entire length of the NJ Turnpike without paying any tolls and intended to evade the toll at the GWB until he saw [Terranova] at the last minute and moved to a cash lane,” Coleman said.

The driver, Magdiel Millar, 29, of Hialeah, Florida, was charged with tampering with public records in connection with allegedly “defacing the license plate,” according to Coleman.

"We have records of [Millar] evading tolls on three prior occasions – one in 2010 and two in 2012," Coleman said. "The total owed from all three offenses is $148. However, since he has been using an altered plate, we have been unable to tie any subsequent toll evasion to him since the plate he was using is fictitious."