It’s not uncommon to find posts on social media related to missing truck drivers. One claim recently circulating grabbed the attention of Snopes, a fact-checking website, which promptly debunked it.
In late July, posts on Facebook and Instagram alleged that Alabama truck driver Eric Darnell went missing after picking up a load in Phoenix. They claimed he was on his way to Memphis when he suddenly “went dark.”
As with much social media content, the “facts” changed. Subsequent posts either modified or added details, including that the supposed missing truck driver had been found dead.
Snopes methodically dissected the posts following the alleged route of the driver. After contacting multiple law enforcement agencies, writer Megan Loe could not locate one missing person report. She also was unable to confirm one claim that Darnell’s truck was found in North Little Rock, Ark., locked with his wallet inside the truck.
But perhaps one of the most damning pieces of evidence Snopes turned up was the lack of credible photos of the truck driver.
One version of the post shows a black man with a beard, wearing a denim shirt in a personal vehicle. While unable to matter-of-factly confirm the photo was generated by artificial intelligence, it showed many of the traits of AI. The image is not found anywhere on the Internet via reverse-image searches, except for the social media posts.
Another version of the post includes photos of a real person. Stephen Perkins was an Alabama man who died in a police shooting in 2023 – not a missing truck driver.
“A reverse-image search led us to Perkins’ obituary (archived), which included the photo of him in the white dress shirt and navy blue tie. The photo of Perkins in the Levi’s shirt appeared in a New York Post article (archived) published in November 2023,” the Snopes article states.
Read more about the detailed investigation via this Facebook post or on the Snopes website.
Snopes has been around since 1994 investigating urban legends, hoaxes and folklore, according to the website. Founded by David Mikkelson and Barbara Mikkelson, who have since retired, it is the oldest fact-checking site on the web. LL
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