A truck driver, allegedly responsible for a six-vehicle pileup in Indiana earlier this summer, was arrested on Wednesday, more than two months after the fatal accident.
The accident occurred shortly before 2:00 p.m. on June 3 on southbound Interstate 69 in Allen County, Indiana. The driver was charged in July and arrested on August 5.
According to WANE, the truck driver, 70-year-old Gjergj Degaj, failed to brake before crashing into two cars that were stopped in a construction zone. One of those cars skidded and ended up in a ditch, while the other collided with a second semi-truck. Degaj’s truck then struck that same second semi-truck and pushed it into a third car. The third car then collided with yet another semi-truck.
Two people traveling in the third car were treated at the scene of the accident and released. Several people were trapped in their vehicles, and two people traveling in the first car died: Bradley Maller, 70, and Drew Saddington, 15. That car was part of a driving school program. No other injuries were reported.
The accident investigation revealed that Degaj was traveling at 73 mph through a construction zone with a 55 mph speed limit at the time of the accident and that he did not brake before colliding with the first car. Investigators determined that driving conditions were good and that the construction zone was properly marked. Investigators seized a tablet from the truck and discovered that YouTube was being used at the time of the accident.
Degaj was taken to a hospital, where he was questioned by the Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. During the questioning, it was determined that he did not understand the questions and did not demonstrate sufficient proficiency in English. Officers also determined that Degaj did not have a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL).
Degaj has been charged with two counts of reckless homicide and one count of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. On Wednesday, he was booked into the Allen County Jail, where he is currently awaiting trial, according to 21 Alive News.
